BARRY GOUDREAUhttp://www.legacyrecordings.com/Barry-Goudreau/Barry-Goudreau.aspxTogether with alum from the band Boston, Barry Goudreau put together an interesting nine songs recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles. It's the distinctive Boston guitar sound with more basic rock & roll. "What's a Fella to Do" could be a sequel to "Rock and Roll Band"; "Mean Woman Blues" goes in an almost Foghat direction. Fran Cosmo's vocals feel a bit more British than Brad Delp, and "Leavin' Tonight" leans more toward producer Mike Chapman and the sound of the Sweet than one would expect. Goudreau's guitar and Syb Hashian's drums are a powerful combo -- no bassist is listed. The song "Dreams" gave Goudreau's self-titled debut the radio attention it deserved, and a bit of a following. This track definitely sounds like the band Boston which, rumor has it, upset Tom Scholz. In 1992 singer Delp and guitarist Goudreau joined Brian Maes & the Memory. They rode the Maes original "Until Your Love Comes Back Around" into the Top 30 in America, and the Return to Zero album was a nice reunion for the two major forces behind this. "Life Is What We Make It" and "Cold Cold World" are good slices of American hard rock. More refined than Grand Funk Railroad and not as slick as the Mickey Thomas version of Starship, the Barry Goudreau album is a fun record free from the restrictions of Scholz's meticulous production. While "Cold Cold World" may evoke thoughts of the song "Long Time," the string quartet on "Sailin' Away" gives the album a depth and identity. Just a bunch of professional musicians playing what they like and coming up with a gem.http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dzfexq85ldje

'Til Tuesday's debut album, Voices Carry, contains hip photo imagery (Aimee Mann's smile on the back is priceless and beautiful) and excellent songwriting, all credited to drummer Michael Hausman, guitarist Robert Holmes, keyboard player Joey Pesce, and bassist/singer Aimee Mann. The follow-up would be more specific as to who wrote what. While most bands from Boston suffered from lack of production, Mike Thorne does a decent job on much of the album and excellent work on the title track. Former manager Randall Barbera spoke with this writer prior to the album's recording, when Human League/Pete Shelley producer Martin Rushent was being considered for the task. The question for fans was, like the Cars before them, what was wrong with the hit demo of "Love in a Vacuum," which saturated Boston airwaves prior to the record deal? As good a job as Mike Thorne did on the song "Voices Carry," the world at large has not heard the inspired and innovative recording that was the original "Love in a Vacuum." If memory serves, Will Garrett did the production work, and like certain tracks by the band Private Lightning, the demo to "Love in a Vacuum" was superior to what came out on Epic. As Roy Thomas Baker polished "Just What I Needed" for the Cars, filling it with Queen-style thickness, the new wave edge of the demo, on release on Rhino's Cars Deluxe, will give a good example of the transition these songs go through. The big difference is that the original "Love in a Vacuum" was perfect and needed no changing, and the Mike Thorne version is over-produced, creating a good album track when the true follow-up hit was actually in hand. Epic/Legacy simply has to expand this disc with the original 'Til Tuesday demos. "Don't Watch Me Bleed" has the same kind of mesmerizing bass that makes "Voices Carry" so captivating, while the final track, "Sleep," could be the Human League going deep into the underground. The song would also work well with a girl group hero like Barbara Harris of the Toys, showing the versatility of this unique ensemble. Aimee Mann's major-label debut shows rapid maturity when compared to her Bark Along With the Young Snakes EP, and there's something about this combination of Pesce, Hausman, and the brilliant Robert Holmes that would make a 'Til Tuesday reunion a welcome thing. The haunting lyrics and dark tones of the keys and bass on songs like "I Could Get Used to This" or "No More Crying" separate this recording from the work of similar '80s bands. "Looking Over My Shoulder" has a bubbling intensity which Holmes' guitar adds drama to. Voices Carry may have achieved success because of the MTV video, but there were nine other songs to go along with the hit, and this album and its follow-ups should have had as much commercial success as the Cars, because artistically, they are equal to that band's dynamic debut.

The Young Snakes were a trio of musicians who toured the Boston area relentlessly in the early '80s, featuring Michael Evans on drums, Douglas Vargas on guitar/vocals, and the unmistakable sound of a young Aimee Mann leading the way. This 1982 release actually has half of 'Til Tuesday, with singer Aimee Mann and a guest appearance by her eventual drummer (and eventual manager), Michael Hausman. It's an ambitious debut with more funk than 'Til Tuesday and latter-day Aimee Mann would display. The songs are interesting: "Give Me Your Face" is along the lines of fellow local rockers New Man, while "Suit Me" is a lighter and more professional version of what Mission of Burma was cranking out at the time. The Young Snakes are more cohesive than Burma, their attack more precise, the message more clear. With Mann co-writing all five tunes with guitarist/vocalist Douglas Vargas, the state-of-mind hook of "Suit Me" on side one melts into "Don't Change Your Mind" on side two, a dreamy vocal with static instrumentation, the beginnings of the wonderful musical paradox which Mann would perfect on the first 'Til Tuesday album. "The Way the World Goes" plays with the exotic rock Yoko Ono would experiment with on the flip of John Lennon singles, the scratchy "Why" or "Walking on Thin Ice" guitars Ono had the honor of working with. "Not Enough" sounds like a relationship on the skids, with the voice struggling with the dilemma and the musicians reflecting it — a very original episode. This EP is absolutely important to get a handle on the early work of the eventual Oscar nominee (Magnolia soundtrack), and maybe a re-release of this, along with live Young Snakes material and the superb 'Til Tuesday demos (if memory serves, produced by Will Garrett), would be a treat for the fans who visit her web page. This first effort by Aimee Mann is something she can be proud of.

"Until Your Love Comes Back Around" hit Top 30 in February of 1992, and helped forge a new identity for ex-Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau as well as perpetual Boston member, vocalist Brad Delp. Definite '80s rock, the opening track, "Face the Music," could have worked on a latter day Starship album as well. On paper this looked like a huge act. The stadium veteran Delp fronting what became Peter Wolf's band, bassist Tim Archibald from New Man, California Raisins/Robert Ellis Orral drummer David Stefanelli, and keyboardist/songwriter Brian Maes. The latter three are also a self-contained unit known as Brian Maes & the Memory, and they brought a cohesion to RTZ which helped the Boston band refugees deliver the goods. "There's Another Side" is right up there with the opening track, a grade-A effort, only overshadowed by the beauty of the hit ballad "Until Your Love Comes Back Around." Live they would perform "Dreams," the song from the Barry Goudreau album that Tom Scholz allegedly felt sounded TOO much like his group, Boston. They were careful with Return to Zero to lean more towards Brad Delp's pop side, "All You've Got" a perfect example proving Goudreau and Delp a formidable writing team. Chris Lord-Alge's production is straightforward, no nonsense let's capture this excellent band exactly as they are. Goudreau's guitar bursts on "All You've Got" are short and sweet, and combine his masterful playing with a bit of the band Boston's magical sound. Delp recorded three solo songs in the summer of 1988 at Mission Control Studios which went from Beatles to Steely Dan in the influences that made up their essence. That sound would have benefited RTZ in a very big way. Sure, "This Is My Life" has some of that tension as well as some of those ideas, but like most of this disc, the band becomes overpowering, and the material, although exquisite and beautiful, tends to sound dated. They manufactured a sound and stuck with it, but had these artists thrown a few more elements into this "debut," if it can be called that, they might have been able to penetrate part of the timeless Steely Dan/Beatles marketplace, and not just the arena rock domain they were aiming for. Perhaps what is truly amazing is that the millions upon millions of fans rabid for a new Boston album didn't devour this package which, despite its flaws, has a lot to offer. Between the variety of musicians there was an overabundance of good material, and Giant/Reprise, by not fostering a half a dozen or more albums, did the world a great disservice. "Rain Down on Me" is hard hitting without the excess of a Mickey Thomas, or the bombast that Journey tended to overdo. The music is big, but controlled, and all involved are cognizant of the ever important pop hook. Yes, it is '80s rock in the '90s, but if you are in the mood for that style of music, Return to Zero has integrity and will hold your interest.

The release of the 11-track Lost album by Return to Zero on the Japanese Avalon label in 2000 found U.S. domestic re-release in 2005 on keyboard player Brian Maes' own Briola Records, with the exotic and very artsy Ron Pownall cover on the import replaced by drummer David Stefanelli's more subdued graphics and the disc retitled Lost in America by RTZ. It's terrific. Following the RTZ debut album and tour, the arena rockers recorded this material in Boston guitarist Barry Goudreau's basement, with Goudreau replacing Chris Lord-Alge as engineer/producer. The bandmembers embrace this sudden freedom of expression by dipping into a variety of pop bags that suit them very well. "Violent Days" is a sublime R.E.M.-style light rocker with a hook that won't quit. The enormous talents of Brad Delp have always been restrained in the confines of the Boston project — his solo recordings along with his uncanny ability to sing the parts of John, Paul, George, andRingo in his Beatles tribute, Beatlejuice, are evidence of his creative spark, perhaps the most underrated major star in Boston (the city). "Turn This Love Around" is certainly a strange title for a band that hit the Billboard Top 40 with Brian Maes' "Until Your Love Comes Back Around," this unique and different composition written by Delp, Goudreau, and drummer Dave Stefanelli. It's a majestic Brit-pop episode resplendent in George Harrison-style guitars. "One in a Million," with its '50s flavors, could easily have fit on Robert Plant's Honeydrippers project. OK, maybe RTZ have more of a modern edge, so they take that vintage R&B and bring it to the end of the century. "Change for Change" could be a long-lost sequel to 1989's "Sowing the Seeds of Love" by Tears for Fears — plenty of "I Am the Walrus" flavors to go round — while the slick structure of the opening track, "When You Love Someone," leans more toward Jefferson Starship or, dare it be suggested, Orion the Hunter by way of Bryan Adams. It's a melting pot of styles culminating in a nod to, of all people, Eric Carmen's Raspberries on "Dangerous," concluding the album with a driving pop sound good for cruising around with the convertible top down. The frivolity is welcome, as this essential follow-up has a much more relaxed feel than its predecessor. The balance brought by way of the light atmosphere does not in any way inhibit the Byrds-meets-Traveling Wilburys folk-rocker "Don't Lead Me On" from succinctly offering some of the CD's best moments and reiterating them in one song. It's one of the rare moments when Uncle Irving let one get away, and that's a pity. Much of this album deserves to be played over and over again on the radio.

Brad Delp was probably the most obscure superstar in the history of rock and roll. Think about it for a moment. The fellow who went to Danvers High School was the voice on recordings that sold in the same multi-platinum (platinum equals a million sales) league as the Beatles, Whitney Houston, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and others in that select and elite group. But where a David Lee Roth or a Sammy Hagar could emerge as a “name” from inside the Van Halen household, the band Boston was always synonymous with Tom Scholz.

The kids who purchased Boston albums never really got to see Brad Delp, the recording artist. They got to hear a rock star reach amazing notes to complement the equally amazing guitar-based songs of Tom Scholz.

Scholz, as leader of the band Boston, has gotten a lot of negative press since the tragic suicide of his group’s most familiar lead vocalist, but that is because it sells papers. Anyone being part of something that huge has to just thank his lucky stars. Will there be battles when a band hits the big time? Absolutely — look at all the names mentioned above.

Why Brad Delp didn’t utilize the platform to go forth on his own as Steve Perry from Journey did, as Lou Gramm from Foreigner did, as so many frontmen in rock were able to do, had to do with his own personality more than his talent not being marketed properly. His talent was enormous and this writer is probably more aware of it than most: I was the manager of Mission Control Studios in the summer of 1988, and it was the solo recordings by Brad Delp that were among some of the most magical moments these ears heard that summer.

When The Cars’ vocalist Ben Orr died of pancreatic cancer on Oct. 3, 2000, it was a major tragedy — the true end of The Cars. But Ben’s five-month battle with cancer was one of those hopeless situations that one approaches with resignation, sadness, and the thought that there was nothing else that could be done. The suicide of Brad Delp, on the other hand, sent shockwaves through the New England music community. No one saw this coming, including this writer.

Loose ends, sleepless nights

I met with Brad on Feb. 10 at The Regent Theater after a Beatlejuice performance. He saw me as he was signing autographs and said “Joe, wait there!” So I patiently waited for the fellow I first met in 1988 (though he appeared on a Jim Femino track, “Party Tonight,” that my record label issued in 1983). You’ve heard the rumors about him being “the nicest guy in rock and roll,” and outside of his untimely passing and the way it was done, he truly was.

So here I am a day shy of a month before Brad would leave us and he’s talking to me about my North Shore Sunday article on the late Jo Jo Laine, a girl he dated in the early 1970s when they lived on in Danvers. These two people from the same street were drawn to the same music — both attended the Beatles at Suffolk Downs in 1966, though separately. Both became larger than life and both remained a lot more obscure than they should’ve been.

“Hey Joe...Great To Finally Meet You! Best of luck! Brad Delp Boston 88!” says the autograph on this writer’s copy of the Third Stage album from the group known as Boston. Perhaps Brad’s humility was part of what kept him from being a household name, despite being the voice on the biggest selling debut in rock history. According to About.com, the first “Boston” album has sold 17 million units as of 2003 — 17 million units and every track a staple on classic rock radio. Oldies as well as classic rock, satellite radio stations and college DJs all play “More Than A Feeling” repeatedly, the voice of Brad Delp echoing out of radios and iPods everywhere.

There are so many loose ends with this untimely death that it has generated many sleepless nights for those who knew the singer. He is larger than life in death, larger than he ever was performing to hundreds of thousands of fans over the years. Millions and millions buying his voice on record, millions and millions more hearing that voice on the radio. He is probably the biggest unknown superstar of all time. Think about it. How does one sell that many records without being a household name until his eerie and troubling death?

Those who knew Brad personally were especially rattled by the event. David Bieber of the Boston Phoenix noted that former Boston manager, Charlie McKenzie, passed away five years earlier almost to the day — I believe it was March 8, 2002. A fellow who opened for the band Boston, singer Bobby Hebb, said three words to me when we spoke: “We lost Brad.”

Bradley saw the legendary Bobby Hebb, former Rockport resident, perform “Sunny” on Aug. 18, 1966 at Suffolk Downs, opening for The Beatles. When I saw him Feb. 10, Brad agreed to do an interview regarding Bobby’s performance with Mr. Hebb’s biographer, who coincidentally lives a few blocks away from The Regent Theater where Beatlejuice played. When I mentioned that Beatlejuice, Bobby Hebb, The Remains, The Ronettes and The Cyrkle should all do a Beatles 41st anniversary reunion show, Brad noted that he would be on tour with Boston, and that he would be getting married that very day, Aug. 18, 2007.

One wonders if a man is about to be married, is going on tour with one of the biggest bands in the world, and is happy playing the songs of his favorite band, the Beatles, why he would kill himself in such a determined, uncharacteristic and harrowing way.

A man in crisis

Let me clarify this. I have only had kind, wonderful and pleasant thoughts of Brad Delp ever since meeting him in 1988. He was a nice person I knew, though we were never close friends or even associates — we were two individuals who traveled the same circles who shared a mutual respect. We had wonderful conversations when we did get to talk to one another.

Now I’m downright angry. Angry that if he had a mental illness, why no one close to him did anything about it. Why didn’t record industry didn’t have safeguards in place to protect such an important voice? That question can be said of many, many great artists, and just shows how skewed the priorities in the record industry are. Protect the copyright over flesh and blood human beings!

For the past week I’ve not been able to sleep well, ever since the news of his passing by his own hand. I could be OK with it if he had had a heart attack or passed away as Ben Orr did, because of an illness, but not this way, not an exit that is both grisly, chilling and destructive to those who loved his voice and who appreciated him.

It is shocking that I never saw this coming. Looking into his eyes and speaking to him exactly one month before his death gave me no indication that he was a man in crisis.

Meanwhile, Brad did have a hit without Boston. It came in 1992 with his band RTZ, featuring Tim Archibald, Brian Maes and Barry Goudreau, a group of musicians who created incredible music with Brad that went pretty much unappreciated.

There are three RTZ albums available and if you are looking to remember this great singer, seek them out. They are treasures and show more of the man’s talent, more than just what the world knows from the hit songs of the band Boston.

My hope is that Brad Delp pulled a Jim Morrison and vanished to parts unknown. I don’t think it is fair to blame Tom Scholz — those in the know realize it is a much more complex situation than that, and over time more of the story will unfold. In a world where life seems to have little value, where we read of so much tragedy that the old cliché “one death is a tragedy, hundreds are statistics” becomes all the more telling.

There is anger here because so many people claim they loved and cared for Brad, but if they did, it didn’t help in the end. And Brad Delp was one life worth saving.

Producer Joshiah Spaulding released the American version of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green's In the Skies disc on his Sail Records in 1979, and, two years later, the man who would run the prestigious Wang Center in Boston, Spaulding, helps keyboardist Robert Ellis Orrall create his Fixation album. Randy Roos of Orchestra Luna shows up as a guest artist here, and it is kind of coincidental because the bands that emerged from that outfit, the original Luna and Berlin Airlift, were creating many of the sounds that canvas this album. Robert Ellis Orrall takes Rick Kinscherf's quirky and eccentric ideas and makes them mainstream, veering off into a Joe Jackson kind of arena, especially on "How Can She (Even Like That Guy)," which is a slight re-write of the Joe Jackson Group's "Is She Really Going Out With Him." The material isn't all that original, but it is very good; a song like "Actually" has its moments, and "Call The Uh-Oh Squad" got regional play for the singer/songwriter, and deservedly so. It is a standout novelty track you wouldn't expect to hear from this crew. In two years time, Orrall would hit the Top 30 with Carlene Carter on a song released from his Special Pain EP, and these beginnings on Why-Fi/RCA are a nice start with the calliope keyboard sounds and Orrall's intense and heartfelt vocals. As Joe Jackson borrowed heavily from Elvis Costello, the Robert Ellis Orrall group borrows heavily from Jackson and Rick Berlin, these short two- and three-minute songs following in Costello's footsteps as well. Orrall's material would get stronger, more polished, and he and his group would forge an identity of their own, but while Fixation draws from many elements, it is a worthwhile first chapter for the Lynnfield, MA, native who circumvented Boston's underground rock scene, while becoming an essential part of it because of the major-label releases. David Stefanelli of RTZ, the Beloved Few, and the California Raisins is on drums keeping things grooving, as he always does, and Fixation has moments which hold up well years after its recording.

As each early-'80s album by Robert Ellis Orrall progressed, they got better and better. "Walking Through Landmines" is very smart dance music, leaning towards modern rock. Fusing the slick Roxy Music avant-garde with the most commercial aspects of underground rock, Orrall's musical journey becomes all the more inviting. "She Takes a Chance" is exotic, and the inclusion of drummer David Stefanelli's first wife, Jane Balmond, brings a bit of Berlin Airlift, Balmond's former band, into the mix. Robert Ellis Orrall was very much a mass-market version of what Rick Berlin was up to at the time, so it is all very logical. "Alibi" has producer Roger Bechirian co-writing with the singer and musician Simon Byrne, and the song is as solid as the rest of the work here. "Kids With Guns" takes Robert's "Call The Uh Oh Squad" from his Fixation LP to another level, as this natural extension to Special Pain provides the songwriter/vocalist a chance to stretch. Keyboard player Brian Maes and drummer Stefanelli also performed on Bechirian's production of Simon Byrne, who sings background vocals on this disc. They would later back Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau of the band Boston, whose RTZ hit in 1992 with Maes' "Until Your Love Comes Back Around." As good as Contain Yourself is, with "(I Hear) Your Heartbeat" and "Spitting in Fatsos Eyes," one wonders if the bandmembers contributed a bit more how successful it could've been? Hawkwind/the Pogues engineer Paul Cobbold brings the techno sound he gave to the opening track, "Walking Through Landmines," back to his production work on "Little Bits of Love," the only two songs Bechirian did not have participation on; it sounds a bit like Peter Godwin's "Images of Heaven," the techno of "There's Nothing Wrong With You" following suit. "That Dream" is as consistent as everything else on Contain Yourself, an excellent effort by a group that should have put out a dozen or so records.

Two years after his Why-Fi/RCA debut, Fixation, the sound of Robert Ellis Orrall here is much more polished, as is the look, and it is all ready for prime time. "Tell Me If It Hurts" kicks off this maxi-EP; a great cover photo of the singer has him looking ever so serious, and the music is just that, with the title of the disc, Special Pain, taken from a line in the opening song. Roger Bechirian's production is much more contemporary than that which Joshiah Spaulding got on Fixation; there is more depth, with the group sounding like the Fixx, whose "Saved By Zero" was out this same year (maybe the EP should have been called FIXXation 2!). The guitar is grittier, the saxophone subdued, and David Stefanelli's drums rock like that other famous Boston drummer named David, David Robinson of the Cars. It's a major progression for the group, and it's too bad "Senseless" wasn't a big, big hit, but that's OK because "I Couldn't Say No," a duet with Carlene Carter, was. Producer Bechirian worked with Carter's one-time husband, Nick Lowe, as well as Elvis Costello, the Monkees, Wang Chung, and others. He also produced Carter's C'est C Bon album this same year, 1983. The amusing thing is that, where Fixation copped Costello in many ways, the band found itself working with that artist's engineer/producer and came off sounding like a Rupert Hine production — not a bad thing at all. "Facts and Figures" even has that "Saved By Zero" feel; the smart sounds of British pop for a Boston band were just what the doctor ordered. It's great stuff, and a shame it is limited to five tracks of a mini-LP. The hit is an anomaly; it went Top 30 that spring with heavy vocals and a slick pop sound a little different from the rest of this disc, but just as exhilarating.

"Andy Fell," "Pound," and "Land of the Glass Pinecones" are three extraordinary pieces of music on an equally extraordinary album. For those who felt producer Mike Thorne missed the mark with til tuesday and some of The ShirtsStreet Light Shine album, he redeems himself here recording this essential Boston band with accuracy, something many of the contemporaries of Human Sexual Response failed to get, great production. Andy didn't fall in "Andy Fell," nor was he pushed. He jumped. It's a song about suicide at a dormitory, a frightening and haunting prophecy since this practice became in vogue at campuses around Boston in the late 90s. The drums on "Marone Offering" kick right in, as does Rich Gilbert's incessant guitar. The band's genius was generated by the multiple vocalists fronting a perfect rock unit. Imagine a hard rock Temptations during their experimental period fronted by the B-52's. It's a strange mixture that worked thanks to a combination of talents, all who contributed mightily. "Keep A Southern Exposure" is not one of the band's more well known tunes, but it provides insight towards their unlimited creativity and able to execute. Discovered by Don Rose who went on to form the legendary Rykodisc label before it was purchased by Chris Blackwell, the two HSR Passport albums were re-released on Eat Records, distributed by Rykodisc. Eat was Don Rose's imprint prior to the creation of Rykodisc. "Blow Up" is the closest they came to sounding like The B52's, a violent song about destruction with the classic line "faster pussycats kill kill." "House Of Atreus" is a strange one, a long Larry Bangor epistle which leads into what might be their finest moment, "Land Of The Glass Pinecones." This song takes the theme of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" even deeper. Though "What Does Sex Mean To Me" from the first album got into the film Threesome, and while both the demo and lp version of "Jackie O'Nassis" became hits as well as their signature tune, "Land Of The Glass Pinecones" is a sacred moment in modern rock. It's pure magic with intense voices and blitzing bass and guitars. Members of this band branched off to become The Zulus, while Dini Lamot re-emerged as the successful and highly notorious drag queen Musty Chiffon, including Jackie O'Nassis in his stage act. Outside of a few "reunion" gigs, this essential act is no more, yet In A Roman Mood remains a tremendous work of art just waiting to be rediscovered. Seek out the 12" single of "Pound from this LP.

For fans of arena rockers New England who wanted and needed more from John Fannon, Gary Shea, Jimmy Waldo and drummer Hirsh Gardner there were obscure tapes by many artists utilizing the group's trademark sound, Fannon and Gardner producing recordings when New England went their separate ways in 1983. 15 years after the breakup, New York's GB Music re-issued the original three-LP catalog on CD including a 20th anniversary, 10-song collection of demos for a fourth disc, "New England -1978". The liner notes implied that the band may reunite. And reunite they did, for a couple of moments, on Hirsh Gardner's long awaited solo album, Wasteland for Broken Hearts. The band showed up on the excellent final track, "More Than You'll Ever Know," a song with a theme similar to their 1979 Top 40 hit, "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya," and on "Welcome Home," co-written by John Fannon: another fine song which seems like a sequel to the group's "Explorer Suite," the title track to their second album from 1980. As fellow Bostonian Willie Alexander found his music being released in Japan on the Captain Trip label, GB Music licensed this to the Japanese company Marquee.

Wasteland for Broken Hearts is a remarkable record, engineered and produced by Gardner, who wrote all the songs, with the exception of the aforementioned "Welcome Home," as well as a cover of John Spinks' 1986 Top 10 hit with his band The Outfield, "Your Love." "Your Love" is most impressive, and though it complements the work well, the nugget here is the title track. "Wasteland for Broken Hearts" has Buddy Sullivan on bass and lead guitars with Gardner providing vocals, drums and keyboards. It is an amazing re-creation of the New England sound and is everything that group's fans could hope for. "Don't You Steal" continues the assault; it's a solid picture of the music Gardner is so familiar with, the singer/composer again playing drums and keys with Jim Smith on lead and rhythm and Chris Carvallo on bass. What is happening on this disc is that different musicians step up to the plate giving the songs subtle flavoring while maintaining the precise vocal-heavy dreamy crunch New England's fan base adores. Andre Maquera adds his bass and guitar to "She Is Love." The first three songs very, very strong. The pair are joined by two more musicians for "Thunder In Her Heart," with double bass on a tune that would no doubt have garnered more chart action for the group Asia. Gardner's wife, Tracie Gardner, who met Hirsh in the 1980s when he was producing her Boston band "The Core", shows up on the pretty "When The Sky Cries," along with Michela Gardner, and on "Hold Me In Your Dreams," which former New England producer and Kiss member Paul Stanley would be wise to cover. This album is a complete and sterling work by a journeyman artist staying true to the sounds he has worked with for over 25 years.

One live track, three studio, all written or co-written by Robin Lane, and the last gasp from The Chartbusters before their reunion in June of 2001 is this four song E.P. from 1984. Gone is Leroy

Radcliffe replaced by keyboardist Wally J. Baier and "additional guitarist" Billy Loosigian from The Joneses / Willie Alexander's Boom Boom Band. Cool double entendre is this "old message" with better production values than the three Warner Brothers releases. Andy Pratt keyboard player and Arista artist himself Andy Mendelson engineered allowing The Chartbusters the total control they never had on the major label discs. It shows with vastly improved sound and fury. The Heart Connection e.p. has an authority that the band exuded in live performance at clubs in and around Boston, and would be a delight coupled on cd with their Deli Platters three song single which generated so much interest when Robin Lane hooked up with the ex-members of The Modern Lovers.

John Cate resides west of Boston, MA, and writes melodic songs with a worldly perspective. Born April 11, 1955, in Liverpool, England, to American ex-pats his parents settled in New England circa 1960. Cate began playing and singing at the age of nine after seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. Many boys of Italian descent learned the accordion and that was true of Cate, whose first musical instruments included the bass guitar and cello, along with the air-powered keyboard made famous on The Lawrence Welk Show. Though the accordion has made its way onto some great pop records, it is interesting how, like other guys from his era, Cate wanted to rock. The calling of his musical influences and heroes — the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, the Beatles, and AM Radio Top 40 hits of the '60s — is what led to the mixture Cate regards "a legitimate roots rock sound and style with pop hooks."

Cate's musical career began as bass player with Zamcheck, named after Mark Zamcheck, a successful regional band that toured with Gary Burton and Pat Metheny, played the Newport Jazz Festival, and was managed by the notorious Steve Sesnick, who was responsible for putting the Velvet Underground on tour in Europe without Lou Reed. The six-string acoustic was always at the ready, and introspection won over technique giving way to classic American folk-rock singing and songwriting that marks his style today.

Cate formed his own recording company, American Music Partners, which spawned the Rose Hip Records label, and began putting out his music in 1996. His first solo record, Set Free, was released that year and was heard by producer Anthony Resta, who worked with such acts as Shawn Mullins, Collective Soul, and Duran Duran, among others. Resta introduced Cate to Heavy Hitters Publishing, a company that keeps Cate's five-record catalog active in network television shows like Touched by an Angel, Jack & Jill, All My Children, The Young & the Restless, and many other programs that utilize songs by the singer/ songwriter.

At his record release party in January of 2001 for his fourth album, simply called The John Cate Band, with his friends the Swinging Steaks co-headlining the bill, the band showed a proficiency for combining commercial singalong pop with an earthier, more traditional American sound. It's a nice combination that complements the Swinging Steaks country-rock perfectly as both bands don't get in each other's way, yet provide enough in common to entertain their respective audiences. The two bands tour the U.S. together when schedules permit. It also presents a united front apart from Cate's initial work as a singer/songwriter.

Cate frequently performs in and around New England, in Nashville, TN, and in the Midwestern states, where he has been named an "Honorary Hoosier." His goals are to have a domestic release with an American label similar to his dealings with Blue Rose, expanding his touring base, and increasing his visibility and presence in Nashville. He writes happy songs and loves being part of the songwriting community.

John Cate's first reaction to meeting George Harrison on a flight to London was: "Man, do you look like your Dad!" who Cate knew from Liverpool. Cate also hosts a monthly songwriter showcase at the House of Blues in Cambridge, MA. He co-ventured this long-standing series with Billy Block's highly successful Western Beat Showcase, which runs weekly in Nashville and Los Angeles, and includes a monthly magazine and nationally syndicated radio show. Western Beat performers have included Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Buddy and Julie Miller, and many others.

There is a naïveté to John Cate's first album, entitled Set Free, that escapes many groups, and it is this charm that makes songs like "Phoenix" and "Wire in the Wind" extra special. As disc jockey Ken Shelton says in the liner notes, "When I listen to the music of the John Cate Band, I hear a lot of familiar voices," and you'll hear the echoes of John Cafferty of Beaver Brown and Sal Baglio of the Stompers, bands that found inspiration in Springsteen and Neil Young. You'll hear those influences, but the imprints of Set Free have Cate's vision of life, and his lyrical perspective is much different from all of the above. There's a pensive reading of "American Night" that would become the title of an acoustic album released after this in 1998, the mandolin from Paul Candilore just one reason why Candilore is the secret weapon in Cate's arsenal. It sounds like the exact take from the American Night album, but that's OK, as it is a strong song and a fine presentation. "Six Chances" rocks out fine with a fury often displayed by the singer's colleagues, the Swinging Steaks. "Last Train Home" and "Temptation" have more of the "American music" sound, which is Cate's home and what he does best. When John Cougar Mellencamp attempts to play Lou Reed it is second rate, but Cate successfully gets that Reed vamp down on "Temptation"; it's more serious than Mellencamp, probably because one gets the feeling Cate hasn't studied Reed and this is from the singer's own experience. "Phoenix" is a standout that you'll keep coming back to, as you'll want to give second and third looks to Set Free, an album by an artist whose evolution keeps unfolding in interesting ways. And it's nice to see local figure Laurie Geltman helping out on backing vocals.

For John Cate's second album, he chose to follow the lead of one of his heroes and cut a record on his four-track at home, as Bruce Springsteen did with Nebraska. The result is a very personal 11-song CD dedicated to his dad, Louis Caterine. American Night has enthusiastic compositions coupled with pure artistic expression, with the three other members who make up the John Cate Band providing sparse accompaniment. On "It's Allright," Cate shows that Springsteen isn't his only influence; the Bob Dylan vocals would make Cate a prime candidate for a Dylan tribute band. "Diamond Dust" is more original, the musicianship downright eerie. There's something to be said for impromptu recording — the essence of the original impressions that created the songs is captured — and if the liner notes didn't mention the lo-fi aspect (though additional recording was done at the professional Metropolis facility), the listener would be hard-pressed to think this wasn't a more expensive endeavor. According to the copyrights, the material was written between 1994 and 1998, and this is the only one of John Cate's annual album offerings to have a two-year space between its release and that which came before. It's commendable that an independent artist would release such an introspective album; as the Dylan and Springsteen types know, these kinds of projects reach a limited audience, but if Cate and his bandmates reach a higher level of success, this beautifully packaged material will be appreciated down the road.

"One Last Mile" gives a loud kick as the third album from John Cate, Never Lookin' Back, opens with Searchers riffs and Ventures-style guitars, the image of the four men coming down what looks like church steps on the front and back covers of the CD making for a mysterious movie-type photo. Cate does his best Dylan on "This Isn't Goodbye," the prolific songwriter playing with styles and sounds that make him happy. Going through the music on Cate's first four albums, there are no revelations; the John Cate Band creatively package things they like and present those things to the world with their own stamp, but their mission is not to reinvent rock & roll. The title track is compact and precise, and there's no nonsense whatsoever. For those who feel Neil Young can get too cutesy, or that John Cougar Mellencamp is spending too much time in front of the mirror, the John Cate Band attack the material with the drive of perfectionists looking for an intangible refined sound like the surfers in The Endless Summer were seeking the perfect wave. "Never Lookin' Back" has that exciting, explosive guitar work generated from slamming the tunes out night after night in bar after bar. "Never Love Again" opens up with more anger; it seems someone never told Cate to never say never, as the word starts off three of the 11 titles — and there are more negative contractions like "won't" and "can't" in other song titles. "Never Love Again" has the thumping authority of Bob Seger's "Fire Down Below," but what's needed is Bette Midler to jump on-stage and teach something to these guys. As the aforementioned rock stars Cougar and Young do get indulgent, Cate and his group need to lighten up. They are as serious as a judge, where a little touch of sly humor would really bring this material home. "Can't Let Go" comes across as perhaps the album's strongest track, and it is up there with the best of the Swinging Steaks; it's remarkable how much the John Cate Band resemble this other group that Cate has worked closely with. "Down in the Hole" and "Never Was Enough" are also in that pop vein with a country twang. This is almost like Boston's version of the Eagles and J.D. Souther, with the Swinging Steaks being the Eagles and Cate being Souther. Not a bad formula to emulate, and a series of fine albums by both groups adds a dimension to New England's vibrant music scene, a dimension that deserves more attention. "Everything Is Love" and "You Won't See Me" are more driving pop/original music from the pen of Gian S. Caterine and his John Cate Band, essential songs that make Never Lookin' Back the album you need as the introduction if you've yet to encounter this ensemble.

John Cate's fourth album, his second with the John Cate Band, is a blend of roots rock and pure pop. "Mercy Road" kicks the album off with folk guitar, keys, and a bit of songwriting that is precise. One can't deny the appeal of the Eagles, but they were homogenized to the point where some of the songs felt like they were printed out of a computer. "Mercy Road" is a tune that radio fans wish the Eagles could've put together. "It's Over" is even better: a great hook, wonderful setup, and vocals that display the sadness a breakup always creates, no matter who was at fault. Cate comes across much better on record, his live performance for the release of this disc felt like the band was trying to re-create what is on the CD. "It's Over" is very much like the Swinging Steaks, a former Capricorn artist which tours with Cate on occasion. "No Other Place" is the kind of song we'd expect to hear from James Taylor if he were a few decades younger. Where Taylor went from Boston to London, John Cate was born in Liverpool, England, but was raised in the U.S. "Standin' Here Alone" feels like Traveling Wilburys without the Jeff Lynne production; very appealing. The harmonica and subdued vocal in "Ride Away" is a nice change before "Circles" shifts gears. This music isn't original, but drummer Gary Rzab, bassist Danny McGrath, and guitarist/keyboard/mandolin player Paul Candilore present a full sound behind Cate's voice and music. "Circles" gives Candilore a chance to sing lead, Rzab getting his opportunity on the next song, "Tears," a very McCartney/early-Beatles sounding piece. It's all very well constructed and played pop/folk/roots rock. These cats emulate their heroes, and the result is very listenable and very radio friendly. Cate's music has been utilized on the network television shows Touched By an Angel, All My Children, and The Young & the Restless, among others, and for good reason. His voice is tender on "Ain't the Same," and all the songs catch a good groove. Candilore is a more than adequate accompanist with his talents displayed on "Time Has Come," a very nice, laid-back song with mandolin and reverb guitar. A reflection of what is on the 12 tracks on this self-titled album.

Monday, July 9, 2007

1987's Will You Still Love Me When I've Lost My Mind? features future Rage TV host Eric Hafner as the main songwriter and vocalist backed up by three musicians, replacing the four other Lines who appeared on the 1984 release Dirty Water. They, in turn, had replaced the original four musicians from the 1982 release Live at the Metro, which included Jamie Walker and Pat Dreier, who split off to become the Drive and, eventually, the Swinging Steaks. That Jamie Walker was the main songwriter of the original band put a lot on the shoulders of Eric Hafner, giving extra meaning to the name of the record company he co-owned with longtime manager/attorney Paul Carchidi, Sideman Records. But the sidemen actually sound pretty good here, and it is the singer/songwriter who disappoints. Maybe Hafner had run out of creative juice after so many disappointments; he just can't take the solid accompaniment here and hit a home run. "Snowbound" goes nowhere, and Hafner's voice sounds pretentious and contrived. Also, there are no cover songs, something that spiced up other releases by the Lines. Including their rendition of Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" would have been a treat, as it was a regional hit for this band that doubled as a suburban cover act. Listening to the song "Some Day" is nothing but painful. There are certainly worse recordings, it's that this band had the potential and so badly misses the mark here, which is almost worse than having done nothing at all. There's more life than on Bob Pfeifer's 1987 LP After Words, but the bottom line is there is so much better music out in the world that to try to like something that sounds so forced is a chore. That isn't what entertainment is all about. "Rain on Me" abandons the simple sincerity of Split Enz, who the original Lines emulated, and replaces it with mechanical Billy Idol/Simple Minds style mid-'80s rock. Side two doesn't fare much better; "Indian Summer" is one of the better titles and performances, but it's still no great shakes. Jamie Walker and the Swinging Steaks broke away from this ensemble and made quite a name for themselves, while the Lines kept beating their original concept into the ground. After a decade, it became too familiar, too old, and lost any charm or enthusiasm which made the band a fun night on the town. This album asks the question Will You Still Love Me When I've Lost My Mind?, and in doing so risks hearing the answer, the word "no" from longtime fans. A very tough listen.

Members of Boston's the Drive reinvented themselves with this very strong 1992 release on their own Thrust label, and the departure from the slick pop the Drive was known for is immediate. Imagine if you will a band that sounds like the Rolling Stones when they transform themselves into their "Country Honk," "Moonlight Mile," and "Dead Flowers" persona to have a good idea of what the Swinging Steaks are all about. Some of these tracks appear on the band's Capricorn debut, but this powerful collection of 15 tunes and two hidden tracks is classic and it landed them the deal after garnering airplay on Boston's WBOS. "Bone Bag" features Rich Gilbert on pedal steel, but the song has more crunch than you'd expect for a country/pop disc. "Beg, Steal or Borrow" has a Byrds kind of vibe with intensity that shows the maturity and development the guys garnered on the Boston scene. That artistry culminates in track 15; the late Jimmy Miller steps in with a rare re-creation of one of his classic Rolling Stones productions as "Live With Me" is covered -- allegedly with Keith Richards guitar lines played by the Steaks, riffs that Miller pulled from the original version. It is exquisite and a tribute to Jimmy's genius, recorded just a few years before his passing. Highlights on this CD are the sublime "Circlin'," written by vocalist/guitarist Tim Giovanniello, its tentative riff and eerie ambience are just perfect for the melancholy vocal. Jamie Walker's title track is the exact opposite, but equally as strong. And that is the secret of the Steaks' success. Rather than hit you with Lennon/McCartney or Jagger/Richards co-writing, the two identities give this group its identity.

When the Swinging Steaks were signed to Capricorn Records, the label produced seven tracks and lifted five more from their 1992 debut Suicide at the Wishing Well. "Do Me a Favor" and "Circlin'" were taken as is, while the songs "Beg, Steal or Borrow," "Right Through You," and the title track "Suicide at the Wishing Well" were remixed by producer Gary Katz and engineer Wayne Yergellun. For their major label debut, the failure to include Jimmy Miller's superior production of the Mick Jagger/Keith Richards composition "Live With Me" was a definite oversight, but maybe Phil Walden's label was interested more in the country-pop side of this group. "Do Me a Favor" still sounds like a distant cousin to Jackson Browne's "Redneck Friend," while "Circlin'" is the best overall track -- a masterpiece by Tim Giovanniello. Jamie Walker's new title track, "Southside of the Sky," opens the album for 45 seconds, and then is reprised with the nearly three-minute full version at the album's close. It's a good song one expects from these highly consistent journeymen. Their debut contained 17 songs, and this now out of print album featured seven new tracks; compiling both as a single unit of their music from 1992-1993 would be advisable.

Sunday Best is a sophisticated progression for the Swinging Steaks as they capture and carry the flag the Flying Burrito Brothers once held and waved so high. Released on their own Thrust Records in America and on Blue Rose in Europe, Tim Giovanniello and Jamie Walker split up the writing chores again along with a couple of tunes from the pen of keyboardist Jim Gambino. One of those tunes, "Stupid," is simply fantastic -- great pop hooks with effective playing to embellish the solid refrain. It and Giovanniello's "Bad Day" are among the standouts -- the very special compositions that always seem to work their way onto the Steaks' projects. "Pictures" is right up there with those two, another song of holding on -- guitarist/vocalist Giovanniello just "waiting for the rain" so he can pull out the pictures he's saved for that kind of day. It's an inspired vocal performance to match the lyrics with the band to maintain the energy. Walker's contributions are to this project what Lindsey Buckingham's work was to Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album: good, consistent, and the glue that keeps it all together. His "Light of the Moon" is a nice conclusion to the effort, effective in its melancholy. Sunday Best is not the knockout punch this band is capable of, but there's not a bad track on it, and a few sail over the fence. At close to an hour playing time, it's an ambitious and realized effort from the veteran New England act.

As the Swinging Steaks abandoned their slick 1980s pop for country-rock when the 1990s came around, Mark Cutler's Raindogs did the same, but got it out of the starting gate a bit earlier on this Atco debut, Lost Souls. The album leans more to the rock than country side, with standout tunes like "Cry for Mercy" and "This Is the Place" among the dozen offered here. "I'm Not Scared" owes much to Gregg Allman and is decent, while "Phantom Flame" is extraordinary, up there with the best of the Swinging Steaks, Johnny Cunningham's fiddle and Cheryl Hodges' backing vocals bringing it that nice Rolling Stones feel when the greatest rock & roll band in the world gave its style a Flying Burrito Brothers flavor. "The Higher Road" and "Too Many Stars" are competent rockers though they don't burst out like some of the other tracks, and that's the downside here. Cutler's voice isn't distinctive enough to elevate some of the more pedestrian numbers and like another "critic's darling" band, the Tragically Hip, the lesser songs in the repertoire -- say "Nobody's Getting Out" -- weigh the other selections down like an anchor. Lost Souls is perfectly played material and an interesting debut, but there's not enough personality to send this over the top. "Cry for Mercy" sounds slightly like a harbinger of what Gregg Alexander and his New Radicals would bring to the world in 1998. Problem is, there's no "You Get What You Give" here, and that's what this singer/songwriter and his band were in dire need of. Nice to see Myanna Pontoppidan of Girls Night Out as part of the Hubcap Horns employed on this outing. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide

If the 1970s was the decade of the independent record in Boston the 80s resulted in many a Boston area group getting signed to major labels or major independents. Here is a variety of different recordings I've reviewed for AllMusic.com

Alvan Long was the drummer in Boston's November Group on its 1982 self-titled EP, and was joined by bassist/vocalist Don Foote for 1983's follow-up, Persistent Memories. They branched off on their own, releasing this five-song EP on the 6L6 label the same year November Group signed to A&M, 1985. "Girlfriend" sounds like the Jonzun Crew with snappy drums and '80s club/dance keyboards identifying immediately what Down Avenue is all about: a group that was as derivative as it was engaging. The mid-'80s brought a number of artists into this sterile but interesting realm, Adventure Set and Face to Face also making noise in Massachusetts and beyond, the artist's identities all merged into a synth/dance amalgam on radio and in the clubs. Only Michael Jonzun and his brother Maurice Starr broke out of the mold, with Laurie Sargent from Face to Face also carving a niche beyond the pack. The sad thing is that Down Avenue is among the best players of this sound just before it all fell off the ledge into manufactured disposable Muzak. This EP as well as the release by Adventure Set are the last vestiges of decent Boston music before the scene exploded and band names proliferated on a daily basis. "Nighttime" is another good melody and performance, though there is nothing here that jumps out at you as an unarguable hit. Roxy Music was performing this exact same sentiment on Avalon with far more personality, and for all the slick production and smooth musicianship, there is absolutely nothing to grab onto here. It could be anyone singing "Nighttime" and any group of musicians crafting these sounds. The three songs on side two, "Winter's Past," "Way Down the Avenue," and "These 4 Walls" melt into a seamless essay devoid of peaks and valleys. "Winter's Past" sounds like a soft rock version of the band New England's classic "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya." "Way Down the Avenue" could be the band's theme song with the hook lifted from Bruce Springsteen and Manfred Mann the decade before -- "That's where the fun is" sounds like it stepped out of "Blinded By the Light." Nothing here is as outstanding as Adventure Set's "Blue Is for Boys," but there's nothing bad here either. The band was rumored to have signed with RCA and probably did, but then vanished as quickly as November Group did on A&M. Charles Pettigrew's vocals are slick and soulful, but they are pipes in need of a song that was more than just pleasant background music.

Review by Joe ViglioneBefore Gary Cherone joined Van Halen this group sold the band name the Dream to one of the major TV networks after their brilliant local manager, Joanne Codi, initiated a lawsuit (she was clever enough to trademark the name). When the TV show Dreams launched (about a rock band trying to make it), suddenly this group had the cash to cut a video of their regional hit penned by lead singer Cherone, "Mutha (Don't Wanna Go to School Today)." This original lineup was the band that made incredible waves in Boston, opening for Nightranger at the Orpheum Theater and drawing crowds wherever they played. Along with Girls Night Out and Rick Berlin: The Movie, they were a dominant force on the live music scene in New England during the '80s. Keyboard player Mika Watson added a dimension missing when drummer Paul Geary (famous for managing Godsmack) and singer Gary Cherone became Extreme on A&M Records. Peter Hunt's contributions on guitar and songs were vital. "The Mask" and "See the Light," two of his three compositions on this six-song EP, were, along with Gary Cherone's "Mutha," the songs that launched the band. Had there not been a Dreams TV show the band would not have been called Extreme. "The Mask" is quite simply a brilliant rock song, full of pop melody and progressive riffs. "See the Light" is a hard rock takeoff on "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds, while Hunt's "Why" is the sort of break song that an album needs to divert the listener from the musical similarities inherent in any set of recordings. Quoting Edgar Allan Poe's line, "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream," is the kind of stuff that separates this early incarnation from the onslaught that was the major-label band who hit with "More Than Words" in 1991. Sure, Nuno Bettencourt's guitar and songwriting skills were essential to that aggregation, but there was something special about the band when Paul Mangone was on bass instead of Pat Badger, and when Mika Watson and Peter Hunt created a firm foundation for Gary Cherone's voice and stage antics. They were a very special band and this EP is an important and highly listenable document of what came first.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneThe major-label debut of vocalist Mike Gerard, guitarists Richie Bartlett and Stacy Pedrick, drummer Chris Pedrick, and bassist Doug Forman, collectively the Fools, stands as a concise and well recorded musical statement by an important Boston group. Produced by Pete Solley, the band escaped the curse of New England groups suffering inferior recordings in major studios. "Spent the Rent" is a powerful rocker, while "Easy for You" is a tender ballad and shows what a pro bunch these musicians posing as jokers were. "It's a Night for Beautiful Girls" was a smash in the New England region but made no real dent nationally, and, for some strange reason, EMI-America put the song that established them in their hometown, a parody of the Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer," entitled "Psycho Chicken," as a 45 rpm inside the album jacket, but not included on the 12" vinyl. Produced by guitarist Richard Bartlett, who would go on to join Ben Orr's solo project, and engineered by Luna producer Jay Mandel, "Psycho Chicken" was so much of what this band was about. The original four-track basement recording got tons of local airplay in and around the Boston area, and was as much a hit as "It's a Night for Beautiful Girls." The 45 rpm is on white vinyl, saying that either their management or the record label knew the importance of this tongue-in-cheek side of the group. A cover of the Leigh/Charlap classic "I Won't Grow Up" just doesn't have the sparkle that David Byrne's underground hit generated as re-written with Forman and Girard, the two main songwriters for the Fools. "Night Out" begins the album with a burst of three minute pop followed by "Fine With Me," "Don't Tell Me," and the title track, "Sold Out" — all well-crafted pop songs with Beatles guitar lines and enough jangle to qualify them for underground pop rockers, somewhere between the radio friendliness of the Raspberries with the seriousness Badfinger brought to their work. While their contemporaries Human Sexual Response stretched the boundaries, the Fools tempered the joking and sought respectability. Years later, Sold Out stands as a very respectable and very important debut album by a band that was able to play the local circuit for more than a decade after its release as one of the major draws in New England. Not a bad accomplishment, and an indication that they deserved national recognition and could have entertained the masses had EMI kept working their discs beyond the second release, Heavy Mental, which followed in 1981. Just listen to the blend of American music and British pop that is "Sad Story," the only song clocking in over four minutes, and a beautiful one at that.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneThe Fools were a phenomenally successful Boston band in the 1970s and 1980s, but, as often happens, were not presented accurately to the world on their major-label debut, or its follow up. Pete Solley's pedestrian production on the 1980 release Sold Out is almost indiscernible when compared to Vini Poncia's presentation of the band a year later. A song like "Around The Block" cries for the zaniness that this group injected into their parody of The Talking Heads a few years earlier, but even the great riff is kind of muddied. The problem isn't so much bad production, something many of their peers from Boston had to deal with (a much more serious problem than the curse of the "Bosstown Sound"). Indeed, the problem here is what befell Willie Alexander on MCA — it feels like the record label was normalizing the group. "Local Talent" has this smooth recording which emulates John Cougar Mellencamp, to the point where lead singer Mike Girard actually sounds like a young Mellencamp on this track about ladies of the night, not local bands. "What I Tell Myself" opens side two, and it sounds like a mainstream pop version of the band Deep Purple. It is telling that while their first album yielded the excellent "It's A Night For Beautiful Girls," it is the Roy Orbison cover here, "Running Scared," which is the outstanding track on Heavy Mental. These were mental times for Boston rock & roll (a local D.J., Captain P.J. actually had the phrase "Go Mental" and would create havoc at Boston area shows), but there is nothing chaotic, crazy, or even marginally psychotic about Heavy Mental. "Lost Number" is another title which should sound like The Tubes, not a subdued Eddie Cochran. The Fools really had it together, and where Mike Girard could sound like Roy Orbison and John Mellencamp, he sounds like Fee Waybill a bit on "Lost Number," but the band sounds like someone putting handcuffs on The Tubes, where this band was a more suburban "let's have some outrageous fun" act and needed to be given more latitude. Rich Bartlett is an incredible player, but like Elliot Easton in The Cars, he was restrained from being the blazing guitar star he was quite capable of being at this point in time. He would actually join Ben Orr of The Cars in the late 90s, and had the creative freedom to reinvent that band's Top 40 hits. Bassst Doug Forman sings the lead on "Last Cadillac On Earth," a heavy urban rocker with more emphasis on riffs, more like Foghat. How their management or record label intended to market a group clearly being pushed into directions different from their stage show is a good study in the problems of the record industry, but it failed to give The Fools a platform to create and grow. They were able to sell tons of records on their own label in the Northeast after their two albums on EMI-America, and maybe their record deal raised their profile and helped them affirm their position in New England, but they deserved much more. Producer Vini Poncia has displayed great pop sensibilities, but none of them are obvious on Heavy Mental, an album too sane for its own good.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneOne of the greatest tragedies in Boston rock & roll history, and something the world is the worse for, is this difficult document of one of the best '80s bands from New England, Girls Night Out. For a group who approximately grossed over a quarter of a million dollars in a two-year period, they were saddled with arguably the worst cover art in Boston history, substandard production by the usually reliable Chris Lannon, and evidence that radio-station politics, mismanagement, and too many cooks can do more than spoil the stew; politics can stand in the way of important art. Nothing on this record jumps out at you like the eight-track demo of "Matter of Time," the regional radio hit recording that helped launch GNO's career. The failure to re-track "Matter of Time," a song that was like a girl group version of 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry," is the true crime of the heart here. The great Jimmy Miller produced a cover of "Baby It's You" for lead guitarist Wendy Sobel in 1983, and the version is sultry, moody, and brilliant, but is not included here. The three songs Jimmy Miller did with Wendy Sobel, one-seventh of this band, blow away this entire disc. "Affair of the Heart," "Love Under Pressure," "Calling Doctor Love," and "Crime of the Heart" are studied performances with none of the excitement the girls displayed on-stage. The precision is the kind of homogenization one expects from a major label, not from an independent group, and it feels like the act was being directed from the pages of This Business of Music rather than by the creative instincts of a professional. The results are disappointing. Didi Stewart wrote all the material, and there is no doubt she is a genius, but her talent was inhibited by business forces behind the scenes. Rumor has it that Madonna/Brian Wilson producer Andy Paley was interested in signing the group, but the manager allegedly would not agree to the terms. If that urban myth is true, it is a shame, for Paley could have taken "Affair of the Heart" and given it the Phil Spector treatment. The songs are all first-rate, it is just that they have nothing to them; they are two-dimensional recordings with flawed sounds (listen to the lame drum slap in the middle of "Affair of the Heart"). These are pedestrian performances from ladies who bowled people over in concert; a version of "Love Under Pressure" is included that sounds like it is stuck in a pressure cooker. There's no mastering credit, but that essential element is thin at best. Girls Night Out's exquisite staple, "When You Were Mine," shows up five years later on the One True Heart album by Didi Stewart, and it is total vindication, showing what the songwriter could do away from the confines of a democracy. Bits and pieces of what this phenomenal group was all about have surfaced elsewhere. Alizon Lissance has released discs with her local group, and other members — Myanna, Wendy Sobel, and Didi Stewart — are off doing their own thing; reunions of this post-Amplifiers band Stewart fronted happen once in a blue moon. This writer brought Didi Stewart to the 1992 Marty Balin sessions in New Hampshire, and Balin was thrilled at the prospect of Stewart and her friend, Ellie Marshall of the Modern Lovers, singing on his album, Better Generation. That idea was nixed by Karen Deal, Balin's wife, yet another example of people interfering in important art. With the cash that was coming in through the high demand for this group and the combination of originals and covers packing their shows, Girls Night Out should have released a superb album on their own and let a major label pick it up. Seven great artists who should have had original guitarist Patty Larkin return to jam with Wendy Sobel on this were left out in the cold when these recordings failed to generate the same excitement as the band did live. The original demo tapes, the Jimmy Miller sessions with Sobel, a live radio broadcast or recording from a nightclub, and Didi Stewart solo material — all combined — could have made this affair memorable. Listening to this decades after it was recorded is still a heartbreak to those who witnessed the excitement of the girls live. This EP is a great excuse for these talented ladies to re-form on their 20th anniversary and create the album they are still capable of putting together.

Jon Butcher is a journeyman guitarist whose Johanna Wilde band was legendary in the New England region in the late 70's. While the "New Wave" and "Punk Rock" scenes were exploding, Butcher kept to what he did best: mainstream hard rock. By the time this Polydor deal materialized much of his better known tunes had been in circulation for quite some time. "New Man" originally appeared on a 1980/1981 compilation from radio station WCOZ, it opens up side two here, but, like most of the album, is hampered by Pat Moran's pedestrian production."Cant Be The Only Fool" and "Send One Care Of" lack personality here, the producer and record label failing to polish Jon Butcher's consistent songwriting. Add to that mix the fact that his management company had a falling out with the major concert promoter in his hometown, you have an act that had to move to Los Angeles in order to find an environment more conducive to the creative process. "Life Takes A Life" is haunting here, and may be the best track on the record; "It's Only Words," "Ocean In Motion" and "New Man" were popular live and remain highlights of this record, but the power trio never got to shape their own identity. The crunching chords made Jon Butcher more like Pete Townshend performing in The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Like Robin Trower, Butcher performed in the shadow of Jimi, good material but not as creative and memorable as the prototype, and without the production and promotion skills of a Chas Chandler. A decent album that could have been so much more if the people around this artist understood what the music was all about.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneJon Butcher says he never should have bet his heart if he "couldn't pay the price" in Wishes, which might be the guitarist's most introspective album and most potent artistic statement. The production by Butcher and Spencer Proffer is crisp and elegant. Here's a songwriter controlling his own destiny with help from Foreigner/Aerosmith sideman Thom Gimbel, longtime drummer Derek Blevins, and bassist Rob Jeffries. These are all Jon Butcher originals with one co-write, "A Little Bit of Magic," which has the assistance of a person with one name only, Raun, from another Pasha/Spencer Proffer group, Isle of Man. "Living for Tomorrow" continues the spirit of the first tune, "Goodbye Saving Grace," with the singer's strong voice augmented by guitarmanship finally coming into its own. His musicianship takes a backseat to the song and production though, which is a good thing -- leave the flash for the stage. Wishes has solid statements in each song and throughout the grooves. The old adage "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride" is changed here to "If wishes were horses...then dreamers would ride," written over and under a solitary picture of Butcher on the inner sleeve. He sounds like Paul Rodgers on "Holy War" taking much from the Firm, a group who hit two years before this 1987 disc. "Holy War" takes on Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Fallwell, Billy Graham, and other evangelists to great effect, while the title track treads on ground more familiar to Butcher, the music of Jimi Hendrix. "Wishes" is a wonderful tune which borrows heavily from "The Wind Cries Mary" both lyrically and musically before emerging halfway through as its own entity. "Churinga" closes out side one, a creative instrumental displaying this band's ability to groove. These grooves immediately make their way to side two with "Long Way Home," a blending of percussion and Jon Butcher's gritty guitar. "Show Me Some Emotion" harkens back to the sound of early Jon Butcher Axis, with better production than their Polygram debut. The co-write, "A Little Bit of Magic," picks up where "Wishes" left off, and though the lyrics may be the weakest on the disc, the song's climbing guitar evokes Santana from that guitar star's "She's Not There" period ten years earlier. "A Little Bit of Magic" should have been a big hit. So too "Angel Dressed in Blue," elements of commercial artists from the day blend into the mix, making this a stronger album from Spencer Proffer than his Quiet Riot smash three years earlier. Rather than "bang your head," the music here is articulate and determined. "Partners in Crime" and "Prisoners of the Chain" add to this dynamic effort, the final track a hard ballad which would have been a nice direction for Bad Company. It sounds like that band seeking more modern sounds and closes out an impressive work by a journeyman revising the formula which brought him regional success in the Boston area.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneA Stiff Little Breeze is a superb album from the Jon Butcher Axis, getting straight As in pacing, performance, and material. Jon Butcher personally essays, the tales behind each tune found in the eight-page booklet brimming with photos and rich in band history. As the music crosses decades, Butcher cleverly splashes some of his favorite phrasings throughout the melodies and production, making it very, very appealing. "The Tiger in the Tall Grass" borrows heavily from early Rod Stewart/Faces, Beatles backing vocals, and, most notably, Paul McCartney's "That Would Be Something" from his first solo album. "Wicked Woman" (the title of a Janis Joplin bootleg, a fact that couldn't have escaped Butcher's notice) adds some culture shock from what precedes it -- the kind of polished '80s rock that Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" provided, only this Jon plays it so cool, slipping in a bit of "Purple Haze" into the mix. And speaking of such things, "Red House" is a standout. This artist has certainly come up with enough diverse sounds to separate him from his major influence -- but when he dives into Hendrix territory, it is with true understanding and wild abandon. Jimi's friend Buzzy Linhart heard this version of "Red House" and noted that the tune has become the "Stormy Monday Blues" of the new millennium, Linhart most impressed with what Butcher did with this often overworked cover. "A Light Texas Rain," like the title track that begins the set, is short, sweet, and gloriously simple. Many Butcher albums have seeds of greatness, but A Stiff Little Breeze is no mere collection of B-sides and outtakes; it is an impressive blend of this important artist's thoughts, emotions, and performances. "Money" is like some catchy response to Cyndi Lauper's hit "Money Changes Everything," with a clever aside from Butcher in the liner notes. "Beal St." is Robert Johnson/Mick Taylor slide guitar blues, the final of 14 tracks that make up this favorite of all of Jon Butcher's releases. The excellent cover art features the state of Massachusetts on a map that looks like parchment an archaeologist would read from to find hidden treasure. Most appropriate.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneJon Butcher cut a path through the Boston rock & roll scene when his Johanna Wilde band started making some noise as a terrific mainstream act like their contemporary, Charlie Farren, bucking the "new wave" trend and establishing a presence by staying true to the music's mission. Johanna Wilde evolved into Jon Butcher Axis, and that both of his 1980s major label releases on Polydor are out of print in the new millennium certainly leaves a void for fans, of which there were many. Ocean In Motion: Live In Boston 1984 helps fill that void, despite its flaws. An allegedly "live" CD of vintage Jon Butcher Axis -- said to be from Boston's The Channel Club in 1984 -- sounds too clean to be recorded in front of an audience. The same loop of applause with an annoying and lengthy whistle comes up in between tracks (most noticeably on an otherwise excellent "Don't Say Goodnight.") The Dayton, Ohio label Atom Records must be commended for getting Butcher's music out there, but it's like that studio version of "Fortune Teller" that the Rolling Stones tagged on to Got Live If You Want It!: the fake applause just desecrates otherwise fine music. Seven tunes can be found on the first Polydor LP, Jon Butcher Axis released in 1983, three also appeared on the follow-up, Stare At The Sun: the songs "Victims," "Walk On The Moon," and "Don't Say Goodnight," while the 11th title, "Not Fade Away," is a cover of the Norman Petty/Charles Hardin song made famous by The Rolling Stones. Foreigner's Thom Gimbel, who performs with Aerosmith and is producing Adrian Perry, son of Joe Perry, appears on all tracks on keys, backing vocals, and saxophone, though he wasn't an official bandmember. Jon Butcher gives anecdotes and impressions about his material in the colorful six-page liner note booklet, and that is very substantial. It's an elegant package chock full of photos and insight. It's too bad there's not a Jon Butcher Axis live album from the time this group was busy opening for the J. Geils Band when that ensemble was at the height of their fame. Yes, it's great to have this music available on CD, and maybe Scott Kinnison and Atom Records will go through the vaults for a broadcast from radio station WCOZ and/or find other material from the day. Just hearing this material again makes one point very clear -- Jon Butcher put together some of the most concise and melodic hard rock/pop tunes from Boston's '70s/early '80s scene, and deserved much more success than he achieved. www.jonbutcher.com is the official web page.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneJon Butcher's first DVD is a rare concert videotaped by Bob Boyd's crew at The Casbah in Manchester, New Hampshire. Boyd owned a professional video company which got permission to tape New England bands like the Neighborhoods, the Stompers, the New Models, and many others in the 1980s. This exquisite 75-minute-plus concert is prime Butcher, displaying the man's power, stage presence, and keen sense of rock & roll. More revealing than the CD Ocean in Motion: Live in Boston 1984, which Atom Records pressed prior to this release, you get to see Jon Butcher's tight band in a fine audiovisual performance -- Foreigner/Aerosmith keyboard/saxophone player Thom Gimbel (also the producer of whiz kid Adrian Perry, Joe Perry's son); ex-New Man/RTZ bassist extraordinaire Tim Archibald, and longtime Butcher drummer Derek Blevins. Jon says "Merry Christmas. . .see you in '85" at the end of "When You Were Mine" (not the Didi Stewart / Girls Night Out tune from the exact same year), giving the time frame for when this important piece of New England music history happened. It's one of three unreleased tunes that offers longtime fans something extra. There aren't many frills on the DVD, but the audio is excellent, and the camerawork pretty steady -- choppy at some points -- but that just adds to the rock & roll vibe. Nice to watch next to Blue Wild Angel: Jimi Hendrix Live at the Isle of Wight, not because of the eternal comparisons between Jon Butcher and his mentor, but because of the stark differences seen between the two. Jon Butcher Axis was a band with choreography and a resume for each member that made them more than sidemen. This DVD captures the key compositions -- "New Man" (the name of one of Tim Archibald's groups), "Life Takes a Life," "It's Only Words," "Ocean in Motion," and more -- with a dynamic show that eclipses some of the singer's studio recordings. Grade A.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneProduced by Paul Stanley of Kiss who was also represented by manager Bill Aucoin, this Boston band's debut still stands as their finest. "Hello, Hello, Hello," much like Alice Cooper's use of Rolf Kemp's "Hello Hooray," is a nice opener, but the lyrics are more like Stevie Nicks witchcraft and magic. Song two is the most classic statement made by writer John Fannon and his group New England. "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya" is perhaps the shortest poem/song on record by Fannon, but it is his most famous. There are swirling keyboards by Jimmy Waldo and the precision the band is known for in performance. Like another Boston-based group, Private Lightning on A&M with their local hit "Physical Speed," these groups were ahead of their time and exploring sounds that were not identified with the city that brought the world the Modern Lovers, Aerosmith, and the Jonzun Crew. But with three albums on a major label, and superb production, New England had a good shot at the brass ring and a tune with all the elements of "hit" in this track. "P.U.N.K." is also a song that generated attention. About a punk, and certainly not punk rock, although the band frequented (and played) the clubs like the Paradise and the Rat, which, no doubt, helped inspire this. "Shall I Run Away" has a great vocal from Fannon and is the best tune next to "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya" -- mellow with cosmic guitars, a unique sound removed from the Asia style producer Mike Stone and the band New England became known for, almost Roxy Music. And that is where the band could've really made its mark, by being more experimental and less like the arena rock bands of the day. "Alone Tonight" is a great song held back by the "overproduction," to quote the late Stones producer Jimmy Miller and his idea of the New England sound. The thick production on this music is incessant. "Nothing to Fear" has hooks a plenty and the voice more prominent; "Shoot" is like a progressive Black Sabbath riff sped up and gone pop. Fannons' great ideas and lyrics seem to get lost in some of the instrumentation of "Turn Out the Light." That stage life which Paul Stanley knows so well from the Kiss hit "Beth" is the theme of "The Last Show." "Encore" concludes the album with Fannon almost sounding like Roger Waters in delivery and idea. New England deserves recognition for years of hard work and the creation of a very important tune from the late '70s. The cover photo has Terminator-style lightning (so did Private Lightning's cover, of course) and the band being delivered from out the blue.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneThis sophomore effort by the Boston-based group New England -- produced by Mike Stone, who also worked with Queen, Journey, and Asia -- is a very large-sounding work by a band that deserved to be as popular as Stone's other clients. "Honey Money" is certainly not ABBA; the song's subject is the almighty dollar and its impact on musicians, and the ethereal vocals wrap themselves around a theme that could be delivered to a girlfriend as well as a fellow rocker. "Livin' in the Eighties" has a hard-hitting melody and keyboards that fall somewhere between Gary Wright and Brian Eno. "Conversation" has Nick Lowe-style guitars (much like "Cruel to Be Kind") -- a nice change from the incessant bombast Stone and bandleader John Fannon splash on these tunes. It emerges as one of the best tracks on this release. "It's Never Too Late" has a great pop hook, but "Explorer Suite" is the big production number, the "We Will Rock You" showpiece that New England and this album are remembered for. "Seal It With a Kiss" is rife with thick keyboards, backing vocals, and '80s guitar. A renegade "Secret Agent Man" for the '80s, the tune "Hey You're on the Run" sounds like Triumvirat meeting the band Boston by way of the Sweet. "No Place to Go" is as elegant a ballad as Yes or Queen could devise, but with more of an edge. New England has that cosmic edge, making the group truly an "underground" darling among arena rock bands, and having a group with this much talent performing at regional clubs was a treat. Bassist Gary Shea and keyboardist/backing vocalist Jimmy Waldo would eventually join Alcatrazz after the breakup of New England, while Fannon and drummer Hirsh Gardner got into record production. They all remained personalities on the Boston music scene. Managed by Bill Aucoin (who handled Kiss) and with major producers and a great sound, it's amazing that the band didn't sell millions of records. Like another regional band, Riser (produced by Jack Richardson), New England might have just been in the wrong part of the country for this style of music. Had the band become a bit more avant-garde à la Eno, New England might have found the larger audience that Stone helped U2 garner and that this band sought so passionately. And perhaps this album is too much of a good thing. Where a Beatles album has ebb and flow, New England hits you with all its artillery. New England's three major label releases, with bonus tracks, are being sold on the internet (http://www.newenglandrocks.com), as is a fourth CD of early material. A reunion album is planned; perhaps on this release the group will find the balance so necessary to finally achieving success.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneIf the first album by New England is the band's best musical statement, Walking Wild is where the group could have gone. Todd Rundgren was the perfect choice to help tone down the ostentatious Mike Stone sounds, and the magician from Utopia brings this band a welcome and wonderful blend of progressive music and experimental rock. The very British and very cool "You're There" is the standout; although it never got the attention of the first album's "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya," the second album's "Explorer Suite," and this album's single "DDT" ("Dirty Dream Tonight"), it cries for attention and renewed interest. Great pop backing vocals reminiscent of Klaatu's "Calling Occupants" -- a hit for the Carpenters -- make this pure pop song a very satisfying ending to this disc, as creative as Boston area colleagues the Cars at their best. "L-5" is co-written by Todd Rundgren, keyboard player Jimmy Waldo, and singer John Fannon -- the first time Fannon is not credited as the sole songwriter (Rundgren wrote the lyrics, with music by Fannon/Waldo). This is a neat science fiction kind of tune that fans of Todd should seek out. "She's Gonna Tear You Apart" features lyrics by drummer Hirsh Gardner and music by Gardner/Fannon/Waldo -- three-fourths of the band. It's another change in style with a verse almost like one by .38 Special, before the band suddenly slips into a Cars/Roxy Music motif. The perfect example of Rundgren's production work being so distinctive from Mike Stone's is "Elevator," which would almost be punk rock except for the precise big vocal sound and everything being in tune. Fannon's lyrics are succinct and almost angry, from "He's fashionably mad/Rebel eyes/Fearless type/Raging force" on the title track to "Hit me," the first words in "Holdin' Out on Me." The Cars sang "You're All I've Got Tonight," and New England countered with "Be my "Dirty Dream Tonight." Walking Wild has found a new life re-released on the GB Music label out of New York City (http://www.newenglandrocks.com). A fourth disc by New England (demos recorded prior to the GB Music deal) has been issued on that label as well, along with reissues of the band's first two discs. Four New England albums is not a lot for such a creative bunch of guys. Keyboard player Jimmy Waldo and bassist Gary Shea formed a band called Alcatrazz after the breakup of the group. Had they been able to develop New England's music for a few more records, they might have been a force to reckon with. John Fannon's work with Boston area singer/songwriter Peter Zicko actually has many of the elements that New England forged. Drummer Hirsh Gardner did much production work in the '80s around the Boston area, and perhaps a disc of his material would give New England fans a bit more insight regarding what might've been.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneNew England 1978 provides the world with a glimpse of John Fannon's music prior to it being put through the rock & roll machine of major labels, major management, and major record producers. Released about 20 years after the band's formation, these ten "demos" are even more sophisticated than the Cars' early recordings from around the same period, and like those legendary Ric Ocasek compositions, these early sketches are superb. Jimmy Waldo's keyboard sound on "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya" is reminiscent of early Deep Purple from their Tetragrammaton days. If the hit version of this song was overpowering, this original take stands up as a terrific rendition. It very well could have been the hit with its Cars-ish thumping rhythm guitar and keyboard sweeps. This disc also contains early versions of "Hello, Hello, Hello," "Turn Out the Light," "Shoot," "Nothing to Fear," and "Alone Tonight" from their first, self-titled 1979 debut; one song, "Searchin," from 1980's Explorer Suite and three previously unreleased titles -- "Candy," "I'll Be There," and "Even When I'm Away." Conceived as a retrospective, the CD captures the spirit of a group that "from 1977 through 1979 rehearsed 8 hours a day and journeyed to a small studio in Philly to record the demos that eventually would result in a recording contract with MCA/Infinity Records," according to the group's drummer. The music once heard only by heads of record labels like Clive Davis, Chris Wright, and Neil Bogart really could have been released as the group's first disc and is as entertaining as any of New England's commercial offerings. "Nothing to Fear" and "Searchin'" both have vocals that sound like the Beach Boys battling the group Yes, and that's a compliment. The pop sound of "Don't Worry Baby" combined with the heaviness of "Roundabout" works better than it might sound on paper. The 12-page booklet that comes with the material includes lyrics but not enough background information. With plenty of space on the CD, the almost 38 minutes of music would have been enhanced with a radio interview from the day, or even a new audio of the band telling its story. Regardless, New England 1978 is a real find for both fans and people unaware of the group and its unique blend of ultra-power pop.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneIn the eight-page booklet that accompanies Greatest Hits Live, the first ever live album from 1970s/'80s arena rockers New England, lead singer/frontman John Fannon notes that "We didn't have a lot of live stuff recorded." A double LP of on-stage performances following the release of their first three studio discs could have been the key to bring New England to that much wider audience enjoyed by Asia, Boston, and some of the groups they opened for: AC/DC, Journey, Styx, Rush, and, of course, Kiss. Less progressive than Focus but with enough of a stadium sound to separate them from the underground Massachusetts music community they emerged from, this in-concert disc is heavy with Jimmy Waldo's keyboards and gives an overview of some of the material the band made popular in the first phase of their major-label experience. As with GB Music's Baker Gurvitz Army release, this is called Greatest Hits Live, which is a bit misleading. Missing are "Honey Money," "D.D.T." ("be my dirty dream tonight"), and "Walking Wild," arguably among their most familiar tunes, and the group's fan base may have preferred a title like "New England Live, Vol. 1." Surely there must be more tapes out there, and they would be a welcome addition to the suddenly growing New England catalog. The liner notes don't give much information on the source of this recording -- the date, who recorded it, and so on, though Fannon does mention between songs that it is a second show in San Francisco. All the material from the 1979 self-titled first album except "Turn Out the Light" appears here along with three tunes from 1980's Explorer Suite -- the title track, "You'll Be Born Again," and "Hey You're on the Run" -- putting this recording in the 1980 time frame. Fannon saying from the stage, "This is a song off our album. It's called 'Hello, Hello, Hello'," in the singular indicates that this recording may be before the release of Explorer Suite. The song rocks out live, as does their exquisite hit single from the summer of 1979, "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya." The instruments cut through, and the album is a fairly good representation of the band. They are four musical fellows, so everything is played very much as originally recorded. A lovely "You'll Be Born Again" closes out the dozen-song set on this historically important document of this underrated ensemble. Impressions from the bandmembers and more specifics in the booklet -- which does sport a nice array of photographs -- would have been helpful, but at the end of the day it is the music that has to do the talking, and it is represented here in fine fashion.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneNew Man was a slick and precise Boston band who performed dance rock in the mid-'80s. Not as avant-garde as their contemporaries November Group, the self-titled album became more a platform for the individual talents of the bandmembers. Without the commercial songs which catapulted ABC, Culture Club, Spandau Ballet, and similar acts to superstardom, this debut disc stood little chance of success. Everything is recorded and performed to perfection -- a song like "Way Over There" is as emotionless as "Beautiful Rose" or "Bad Boys." What the band really needed was to latch onto a solid cover, as Stories did with "Brother Louie," a title that could bring this listenable and highly danceable album out of the cutout bins. Scott Gilman's "Say Your Prayers" and Tim Archibald's "Love Real" are two of the more memorable pieces, but there is nothing extraordinary that jumps out and makes one crazy to buy the record. "She Can't Let Him Go" has the machine-like thumps that the Rings put into "Let Me Go," but the difference in those two songs is the difference between a potential hit and a song that is just average. Producer Joe Mardin appears to have recognized the individual talents of the bandmembers, with Bob Gay and others appearing on the Bee Gees' E.S.P. album that he also produced, while Tim Archibald hooked up with a Boston band who did climb the Top 40, RTZ and their album Return to Zero. The New Man project is likeable enough -- certainly not a bad record -- but it's not a disc by the Cars or Tracy Chapman, either. New Man might be the purest example of the importance of the song as a vehicle and the lack of a breakthrough hit immobilizing years of hard work. Scott Gilman and Mark Jones do not possess remarkable or distinctive voices either, which added to the dilemma. An instrumental version of this disc could have been fun.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneThis debut by the ex-members of Wunderkind on a label owned by the record chainNewbury Comics contains five songs and lots of heart. Less derivative than their releases on Braineater and A&M, this is probably November Group in a pure, naïve state. "Pictures of the Homeland" sounds more searching than militant, Alvan Long's drums very present riding Ann Prim's precise and novel riff. Raphael Gasparello is playing the tight elastic bass prior to eventual Down Avenue musician Don Foote taking over making this limited edition E.P. a good document of the band while it was refining the dancey bouncy music regional fans loved."Shake It Off" has the hollow vocals that Boston acts like The Machines were lifting liberally from Devo, reprised on side two's "We Dance". "Flatland" has the sparse machine gun guitar/keys trade-off and a splashy group chorus of "hey" to break things up, but it is hard to differentiate it from "Pictures Of The Homeland", and that's the major flaw here. Intense, professional and hard working, November Group stayed within the framework of their original concept when that concept should have included, should have demanded, creative growth.They never got out of the techno-rock rut and without melody that monotone vocal might as well have been the hammer and scythe in a machine shop it was emulating. "The Popular Dance", like everything else on this self-titled first effort, is a cool title caught in a redundant carbon copy of a tape loop. It has charm but gets tired by the time you get to the fifth track. Too bad the Wunderkind 45 wasn't included as a bonus track, the band's earlier incarnation was not as serious, and was at times more powerful. A live album might have captured the magic more effectively than the black and white image this music projected and became in the studio, for November Group was something to be experienced in the dance venues, dark music echoing in dark clubs.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneIn the driving "I Live Alone," Ann Prim's machine-gun vocal echoes a monotone Greta Garbo by way of Marlene Dietrich. The band had a powerful presence live in concert, and lots of angst that gets subdued when translated to vinyl in a studio. Good production work by Ann Prim and A. Kirby, who goes by the name of Kearney Kirby, became the trademark of these warriors. Everything is so serious with November Group -- "Night Architecture" sounds and feels contrived, but that doesn't take away from its beauty. Whether Prim and Kirby were doing this as a calculated business move (which MCA recording artist the Rings appeared to be doing before them) or if these songs emerged because it was their art at the time, isn't the point. For what it is, it is very good. Where an instrumental version of "Put Your Back to It" might have been fun, actually putting an instrumental like "Night Architecture" on a disc is a bit redundant. All this techno rock seems to work well sans vocals on the dancefloor anyway -- and the voice takes so long to kick in on "Heart of a Champion" that side two is very much like one long dance mix. "Heart of a Champion" is excellent, though it shows the group's limitations; of all their material it sounds the most dated. This is Devo in a very serious light. "Heart of a Champion" is "Whip It" with a longer chorus. It is the first track, "Put Your Back to It," which is the hit. This is the original long version of a song they would re-record for their A&M Records disc, Work That Dream. Don Foote on vocals and bass, and Alvan Long, the drummer who appeared on the first November Group EP, left for their own group shortly after this. Although not very original, these are good sounds worth finding and dancing to again.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneWhen the Ann Prim Band performed around Boston in the late '70s, they were a blues outfit. The guitarist/vocalist re-emerged and re-invented her sound with a band called Wunderkind, which evolved into November Group. This six-song release on A&M came after a four-song outing on Braineater Records titled Persistent Memories in 1983, and another six-song recording on Modern Method in 1982. "Arrows Up to Heaven" on this disc is peppered with the Jonzun Crew's timeless "Tonight," flavored with Peter Godwin's "Images of Heaven," and it sounds great. "The Promise" is some mixture of "Some Like It Hot," the 1985 hit from Power Station -- it's the same chorus, in fact, and has ABC's "Look of Love" keyboard riff and a splash of After the Fire's 1983 smash "Der Kommissar." Talk about mopping riffs -- these gals make Randy Bachman and Ric Ocasek, men who admit to nicking other's people's music, look clandestine by comparison. "Careful (A Life Is a Fragile Thing" is blatant Eurythmics. As serious as November Group was, the blues-rock so essential to Prim as an artist was absorbed by the hip sounds of the day. "Work That Dream" was released as an A&M single and featured a six-minute instrumental version and a five-minute extended mix. Recorded in Frankfurt, Germany, by producer Peter Hauke, the music is first-class, but the real hit is "Put Your Back to It," a two-minute shorter version of the song that was released on Braineater two years prior to this. Like some soundtrack to the film Metropolis, Work That Dream stands as a professional and entertaining set of sounds from an '80s band that deserved international airplay.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneThe tremendous music created in Boston, despite the overwhelming financial success of Aerosmith, the Cars, Bobby Brown, New Edition, New Kids on the Block, and others, never received the respect and opportunity afforded other cities like Seattle, New York, Memphis, and San Francisco. Private Lighting is another case of a band with depth and an overabundance of talent, not getting a fair shake. "Physical Speed" opens this album with the ultimate car song. The theme of Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner" reactivated by a band well versed with driving on America's Technology Highway, Route 128. Vocalist Adam Sherman performed the song over the same backing tracks in French. That version, "Vitesse Physique," never made it to the disc, but received airplay in New England. Originally produced by songwriter David Wolfert, who also recorded Peter Criss' 1980 solo disc, Out of Control, at Air Studios, Montserrat, A&M pulled Wolfert from these sessions and the disc ended up being produced and engineered by Robin Geoffrey Cable. The curse of not releasing the demos strikes again. Clearly, the label did not have faith in the original producer, yet the band's versions of "Song of the Kite" and "Physical Speed" got lots of local airplay in the Boston area, as did the tapes by the Cars before them. This unique band, featuring the violin of Patty Van Ness, the songs and guitar of Paul Van Ness, Sherman's distinctive voice, augmented by keys, bass, and drums provided by Eric Kaufman, Steve Keith, and Scott Woodman respectively, knew how to record their music. The demos have a bite that is missing on this re-creation. Still, the album has merit. Adam Sherman's "Heartbeat" has tension, has drive. The drums don't have the greatest sound in the world and they are up in the mix, à la Roy Thomas Baker's vision of the Cars. That sound hampers "Bright City" and the rest of the disc. John Cale would have been the perfect producer for this group. He understands string work in a rock context, and his A&R and production work for everyone from the Modern Lovers to Jennifer Warnes and Nico could have brought this mix together successfully. A song like "Cultists of True Fun" demanded that kind of eccentric professionalism. Managed by Fred Heller, who didn't seem to know what to do with Mott the Hoople, this is a band that should have enjoyed the success that J. Geils and the aforementioned Cars worked hard for and achieved. A truly original sound, songs like "Side of the Angels" needs power rather than the homogenization here. Singer Adam Sherman came to Boston from New York when post-Lou ReedVelvet Underground member George Nardo invited him to be part of the Rockets, a band represented by Velvets manager Steve Sesnick. In 2001, Sherman found a song of his covered by ex-Modern LoverElliot Murphy and Ian Matthews of Matthews Southern Comfort on their duo disc, proving good talent does get recognized, but also proving that record labels and management can inhibit musical growth. This album is a testament to great music being shipwrecked by the business. You can hear through the production flaws, though, and the magic, somehow, bursts through.

Biographyby Joe ViglioneRobin Lane & The Chartbusters emerged in 1979 when the backing vocalist/guitarist on the song "Round & Round" from Neil Young'sEverybody Knows This Is Nowhere album landed an album deal of her own with Larry Uttal's Private Stock Records and needed a band. The daughter of Dean Martin's musical director, Kenny Lane, told AMG: "I as an x-hippie chick went looking for my knights in Rat punkdom during the summer of 1978." She was hanging out at the legendary Boston nightclub The Rat in Kenmore Sq. and "lured" the musicians in with the recording contract offer from the label which had put out records by Blondie and Frankie Valli, an imprint which folded before they could record. The band thought she was "cute and cheeky" and they loved her songs, so they decided to stick with her and wait it out until they got another record deal, which didn't take too long.Personally managed by Mike Lembo before she hooked up with Modern LoversLeroy Radcliffe and Asa Brebner along with drummer Tim Jackson and bassist Scott Baerenwald (a member of Boston '70's pioneers Reddy Teddy as well as the live touring band for The Archies ), Lembo had secured Robin a record deal with Private Stock and a publishing contract with Leeds Music, later MCA Music, now Universal. "He managed a friend of mine, Peter C. Johnson, half man - half tape....who was using art and tape in his live performances way before what was normal" Lane told All Media Guide.The Chartbusters tracked a demo tape at Northern Studios featuring the original "When Things Go Wrong", "Why Do You Tell Lies" and "The Letter" (a different song than The Box Tops hit and an excellent tune. ) A local disc jockey suggested they make a single out of the recordings, so manager Mike Lembo created a label, Deli Platters, and the 3 song EP was released with a black and white picture sleeve selling a phenomenal amount of copies in New England and on the East Coast, with tons of free press coming from the venture.Guitarist Asa Brebner's web page notes that Robin Lane & The Chartbusters signed to Warner Brothers by Jerry Wexler. Two videos were made along with two albums and a live EP between 1980 and 1981. Lane told AMG years later that "We should have stuck to the grass roots, but who knew? ....we were blinded by the stars in our eyes." One example of how tough it was "when things go wrong", as her minor hit went, was when they recorded the 5 song live EP at the Orpheum Theater in Boston. "the kids were banging on the doors (of the theater) where we were to be recorded...there was no sound check for us, utter pandemonium erupted ...they recorded us and put it out ... no overdubs, no nothing". Exit guitarist Leroy Radcliffe and The Chartbusters dissolved though Robin re-appeared with a techno/rock EP in 1984 entitled Heart Connection. It was the original group with the additions of keyboardist Wally J. Baier and Willie "Loco" Alexander & The Boom Boom Band guitarist Billy Loosigian. The "grass roots" approach that appeals to Robin so much made Heart Connection as entertaining as the original three song EP on Deli Platters which started it all.During their time away from each other the individual members kept busy, Robin wrote songs for notable artists and in 1995 released a critically acclaimed CD, Catbird Seat. Asa Brebner embarked on a solo career while Tim Jackson began teaching at a college, but in the cyclical world of music comrades often reunite and in 2001 in a Boston suburb, The Chartbusters got on stage again, captured on video by a local television program. More gigs followed and a new album, cleverly titled When Things Go Right - a take off on their signature tune - found itself being recorded with new guitarist Pat Wallace taking the place of Radcliffe on second guitar. The re-release of the group's first, self-titled Warner Brothers album coincidentally materialized on the Collectors Choice label with liner notes by AMG's Richie Unterberger around the time of the recording of the 2002 reunion disc. Robin Lane teaches in Western Mass, began a seminar, "Giving Youth A Voice", and has written a biography with all the details of her legendary Boston band, The Chartbusters. Her web page is http://www.randomrogue.com/robinlane.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneHer three song EP on manager Mike Lembo's Deli Platters label, featuring "The Letter" (an original not recorded for this album), "Why Do You Tell Lies," and "When Things Go Wrong," reportedly sold in excess of 10,000 units, many in the Northeast. Robin Lane's Warner Brothers debut was produced by Joe Wissert and features the musicianship of Asa Brebner and Leroy Radcliffe on guitars, Tim Jackson on drums, and Scott Baerenwald on bass. With alum from Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers and all band members singing, they had the elements for mega success. These songs are all great, but the Wissert production stripped the band of what made them so popular in the Boston area. The three guitar attack onstage sounded like The Byrds with a superb female vocalist. The lack of guitar in the middle of "Don't Cry" with just an annoying cymbal ride is the kind of sparse production which turned a powerful act into a low-key Pretenders on record. That's the problem when a record label doesn't understand the nuances of great musicians and the are they are creating. Warner released a five song EP of the band recorded live at the Orpheum Theater in Boston in 1980, sold at a special price — kind of admitting that the first album lacked the magic the band generated in performance. The live EP, produced by Michael Golub, captures some of that sparkle, but it too misses the mark with the guitars mixed way down. Hearing a song like "Why Do You Tell Lies" on the studio recording, without the lush guitar sound it cries out for, is discouraging. This is a band that deserved to craft pop hits for radio and were never given the proper chance. The songwriting and musicianship breaks through the thin production, and you can hear the potential. "Many Years Ago" and "Waiting in Line" actually sound very '90s, the high end and the hollow sound would actually come into vogue years later. But that's not what this band was about. There are some great songs here, especially "When Things Go Wrong." One can only hope someone comes along to record this material in a way that it can be appreciated by the masses. "Be Mine Tonite" is heavier, but still feels restrained. The inner sleeve contains the lyrics and some very cool snapshots of the band.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneThe bane of many a band from Boston is the curse of bad record production, and that curse struck Robin Lane & the Chartbusters perhaps more than any other group. Where the Atlantics and Private Lightning only got one opportunity, Warner afforded the Chartbusters two albums and a five-song live EP. All three featured phenomenal songs that were not recorded by the label with the love and care that the artist deserved. The three-song EP, released on manager Mike Lembo's Deli Platters label, had all the elements that pointed to stardom for Robin Lane. A great original entitled "The Letter," not the song performed by Alex Chilton and the Box Tops, did not get re-recorded by Warner Bros., and the sound is dramatically different from the slick treatment "Rather Be Blind" gets on this album, Imitation Life. "Solid Rock," resplendent in Flaming Groovies riffs and girl group possibilities, gets lost in Gary Lyons souped up engineering. Tim Jackson's drums sound lightweight, and there are more references to angels, like the very Patti Smith-sounding first track on this album, "Send Me an Angel." Where the bands self-titled debut the year before should have had more of the lush Byrds twelve-string guitar sounds, this album takes the group even further from that format. The guitar solo on "Pretty Mala" is almost heavy metal, so far removed from what this group was all about. The band had its own identity, but the attempts to get it to sound like the Patti Smith Group by way of the Pretenders strips away the heart and soul of a truly creative entity. Drummer Tim Jackson co-writes "Idiot" with Lane, and it is one of the strongest tracks on the disc. With better production it would have hit single written all over it. It has a neat little guitar riff, summery pop melody, and easy vocals by Lane. Just a year later she would put backing vocals on Andy Pratt's superb Fun in the First World album produced by the Chartbusters' guitarist Leroy Radcliffe, who was also Lane's significant other for awhile. Radcliffe's production of Andy Pratt is everything this album needed, exactly what is missing on songs like "For You," the moody final track with Lane's beautifully melancholic vocal set somewhere between the instruments and not far up enough in the mix, too many effects keeping the words from being distinctive. The first album's inner sleeve contained all the lyrics, and this second LP has etchings by guitarist Asa Brebner, which, although humorous, might've been better as a promo. Brebner's solo album, I Walk the Streets, released almost 20 years later, contains the sounds that should've been inserted into these grooves. "Rather Be Blind" is a driving pop tune with guitars that cry to sparkle and sound so subdued and lost in some reverb quagmire. This album is a heartbreaker, such a great performance lost in the mix. Producer Gary Lyons worked with Foreigner, Queen, and the Outlaws, a prescription that makes for an album as hard to take sonically as Extreme's first major label disc. "What the People Are Doing" has a great spy movie guitar riff and haunting vocals, the guitar bursts at the end of the song really striking. It's an epic that fades into the Ramones-ish title track, "Imitation Life." Robin Lane's vision was stifled by poor recording and imitation art that the band and she cannot be blamed for. Imitation Life, by producer Gary Lyons, and Joe Wissert's ideas for the first album, Robin Lane & The Chartbusters, were forces that did nothing to further this important group's career. The song "Say Goodbye" is classic Robin Lane, and Warner Bros. should invest in remixing both these potentially classic albums for compact disc. There are great songs here that could be rerecorded decades later by artists in need of hits.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneComing in between the first album, Robin Lane & The Chartbusters and 1981's Imitation Life was this five song E.P. from Warner Brothers which included a cover of what was an FM hit for The Who and an AM hit for The Guess Who, Johnny Kidd's Shakin' All Over, it not so coincidentally follows Robin Lane's song about an earthquake, 8.1. The band was one of Boston's best live acts, with some of the members having gone through rigorous regimentation at the hands of the brilliant and equally difficult Jonathan Richman as his Modern Lovers. This is the best production of the three platters on Warner Brothers, but it still fails to capture that sweeping Byrds meets Flamin' Groovies sound which made Robin so very popular in Boston. This is the fourth version of When Things Go Wrong to find its way onto vinyl, two studio versions by The Chartbusters and one by the Pousette Dart Band failed to get the national attention the song deserves. Robin Lane's voice is shot, the liners noting that this was recorded at "the end of a grueling summer tour that took the band over 14,000 miles of highway". It sounds it. Had Warner Brothers taped the group prior to the tour in a small Boston club where they ruled, they would have captured the nuances of Robin Lane's beautiful voice, and the sparkling musicianship which truly broke new ground for a Boston band. They were one of the best and their major label marriage failed to document what the band was all about. Lost My Mind, When You Compromise and 8.5 are originals not on either studio album, and the band sounds more like the B52's performing on the big Orpheum stage. That beautiful condensed sound is enlarged here, and Robin Lane sounds like a female Fred Schneider on some of this, through no fault of her own. This remains an important document of an important time. Still, it would have been nice to have more of the concert on this disc, with a better mix. Even the addition of the group's original 3 song demo could have made this medium priced project a tool to break this essential band with.til tuesday

Reviewby Joe ViglioneNot to be confused with Live at the Metro by the Legendary Pink Dots from 1999, this 1981 compilation, sponsored by radio station WBCN, was the brainchild of advertising executive Sam Uvino and was in response to competing station WCOZ's The Best of the Boston Beat series. Playing catch-up, WBCN endorsed an additional album, A Wicked Good Time, Vol. 2 released by local record retailer Newbury Comics. Someone & the Somebodies start things off, the only band represented on both WBCN discs, while the Stompers close out side one, that band also being represented on WCOZ's The Best of the Boston Beat, Vol. 1 and The Best of the Boston Beat, Vol 2. The dynamics (or politics) of the two competing stations certainly had an impact on how the Boston scene, already damaged from the ridiculous "Bosstown Sound" of the '60s, was perceived outside the city limits. That WBCN allowed fake applause to be added to this disc is reprehensible, but the studio owner where the tapes were mastered (uncredited here, but it was the Sound Design facility in Burlington where the Lines often recorded) fessed up to it. If you can ignore the stadium applause on a disc taped at a 1500-seat venue, you can enjoy some of the music by City Thrills, Someone & the Somebodies, the Stompers, and Private Lightning. Keep in mind The Metro used to be the legendary Ark/Boston Tea Party, evolved into a gay bar known as Cabaret, turned into Boston-Boston and 15 Lansdowne Street over the years, with dominance in the '80s while known as The Metro. It was the happening place for bigger bands during the week, and morphed into a disco on weekend nights. Live at the Metro contains early work by the original Lines, featuring members who would go on to form the Swinging Steaks, some of Sal Baglio's choice tracks with his Stompers, and material from rock critic Tristram Lozaw when his band, Someone & the Somebodies, were happening. The New Models come off as pretentious and drab, Casey Lindstrom lost without his producer Ric Ocasek to inject some life into uninspired material. But Barb Kitson and Johnny "Angel" Carmen rock on "Don't Come Back" and "Last to Know," the former WERS DJ Kitson tossing the "F" word nonchalantly as only she can. Their band comes out unscathed, as do the Stompers, in a strange merging of mainstream and underground styles. In theory, this was a good idea, but WBCN did a very poor job of documenting the scene's important music, and the result is a curious artifact that doesn't respect the artists performing on the disc or the scene in general. Carter Alan, who should know better, probably cringes now that he put his name on the liner notes to this. Despite WCOZ's inconsistent choice of musicians, that radio station wins the battle when it comes to integrity on these compilation discs. Fake applause, sheesh. What ever happened to having respect for art? From the community that launched the brilliant Live at the Rat and the important Live at Jacks albums, much more was expected, and the potential for something very special went unrealized.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneBoston radio station WCOZ went to number one in the '70s when radio programmer John Sebastian (no relation to the Lovin' Spoonful's singer) created his Led Zeppelin format. Thanks to the energies and devotion of DJ Leslie Palmiter and her "Boston Beat" Sunday night radio program, music from the New England region obtained airplay on this 50,000 watt mega station on 94.5 FM (replaced years later by dance and rap Top 40), a signal as instrumental in the breaking of the Cars' demo, "Just What I Needed," as the rival WBCN. This 1979 release is a real time capsule and despite the flaws — a few suburban bands who lack sparkle and innovation — there are some rarities by groups who went on to national prominence. Johanna Wild became Jon Butcher Axis and their "Suzanne" was a Boston area classic, the antithesis of the new wave so important to 1979, but still relevant. Rick Berlin's original Luna is here, and he's listed as Rick Kinscherf, but the 45 RPM "Hollywood" from the notorious Jay Mandel production sessions which cost the band a deal with Cleveland International is included here, the natural extension of Orchestra Luna gone rock. There's a live tape of the Stompers, who would later sign with Boardwalk, recorded February 13, 1979, at the Paradise Theater — the band is always more energetic live. A pivotal track from the Atlantics is "I'm Hooked" — it was the band with original guitarist Jeff Locke, who was their essential pop songwriter. He was replaced by Fred Pineau when the band signed a label deal and released Big City Rock, so this is one of the few places to find music from the original act, who were one of the biggest draws in their day. When you look at the lineup of Johanna Wild, the Fools, the Atlantics, Thundertrain, the Stompers, the Johnny Barnes Group, and Luna you are seeing an impressive roster which could have put 5,000 people in a hall if presented on one bill; they were all that popular. Thundertrain's version of the Standells' "Dirty Water" is classic. It is not on their 1977 Teenage Suicide LP; this song was released two years later with blues master James Montgomery on harp and with production by Duke & the Drivers' "Earthquake" Morton. Five years later, Aerosmith's Joe Perry would record "Dirty Water" with a band called the Lines, while Mach Bell was Perry's lead singer on MCA Records, that coincidence making this release all the more historically important. Bell's insane vocals on the WCOZ compilation — rambling about "the Boston strangler" and such — give his version the edge, even over that West Coast band the Standells. Joanne Barnard's "Don't Break My Heart" is wonderful pop recorded out at Long View Farm, as was the Thundertrain track. Permanent Press record exec Ray Paul shows up with an interesting "Lady Be Mine Tonight" which features local scenester Mr. Curt Naihersey. All in all, this is one of the better time capsules of Boston music and the first of three compilation albums from radio station WCOZ.

Reviewby Joe ViglioneRadio stations sponsoring compilations of local recording groups was the rage in the '80s, and some important musical time capsules were created. When acts hit from those discs, those time capsules turned into collectors' items. The first volume of now-defunct radio station WCOZ's The Best of the Boston Beat (named after DJ Lesley Palmiter's excellent Sunday night local music program) was issued on WCOZ Records, manufactured by Infinity Records, in 1979 (the station's major competition, by the way, was Infinity Broadcasting). This second set, released in 1981, is on the Starsteam label out of Houston, TX. Starstream Records/Big Music America may have been a company which specialized in radio station LP projects, as the disc came with a ballot for voting on the album's best track and there was a national 25,000 dollar grand prize and a "record contract" (no specifics other than that). "Big Music America has gone into major cities all across the country to solicit tapes," is the claim on the back cover. Years after the regional album's creation, no such "battle of the bands" mentality is necessary. Classic tracks by the Jon Butcher Axis, Balloon (who featured future Joe Perry Project lead singer Charlie Farren), soon-to-be Boardwalk recording artists the Stompers, along with Johnny Barnes and a band with future producer Chris Lannon as guitarist, Midnight Traveller, give the album credibility the contest could not. Musically, the best tracks are "Shutdown" from the Stompers, "Roll Me" from Johnny Barnes featuring the gifted Craig Covner on guitar, Charlie Farren singing "Political Vertigo," and a classic early rendition of "New Man" by the Jon Butcher Axis, more driving than the remake on their Polygram debut. Anne English gets a nice runner-up status with "All I'm Waiting for Is You," while the other artists provide a snapshot of a moment in Boston music history. "Rock on the Radio" by Mark Williamson and American Teen is mainstream hard pop, while Midnight Traveller travels that same road. It's a good thing the tracks were not put back to back, as they sound very similar. Keep in mind, this is when radio programmer John Sebastian (not the singer/songwriter) brought WCOZ to 9.1 in the ratings by offering the world a steady diet of Led Zeppelin. That was the format of the station and this second volume reflects the album rock mindset. Powerglide is another band who made some noise, but like the aforementioned American Teen and Midnight Traveller, they were not part of what was considered the "underground" of the day. The Stompers, Jon Butcher, Balloon with Charlie Farren, and Johnny Barnes were able to cross into both arenas — the suburban club scene as well as the Boston rock & roll crowd — but none of these groups were totally embraced by the world where the Nervous Eaters, Willie Alexander, the Real Kids, and other members of the Live at the Rat clique performed and/or caused trouble. This album's lack of music from that world is a drawback — the artists who got airplay on DJ Palmiter's show were not fully represented by 'Coz's Rock 'n' Roll Album: The Best of the Boston Beat, Vol. 2. Trapper, the Smith Brothers, and Witch One may have names that evaporated as quickly as their respective careers as bands did; their inclusion is a departure from the first volume, which had an impressive nine artists of the 12 being those who were more firmly established, but the "I exist therefore I am" philosophy earns them their place when someone picks up this rare collection and gets to hear some voices from the past. When you put this collection alongside Wayne Wadhams' 1975 Chef's Salad compilation and the Live at Jacks and Live at the Rat recordings, along with other collections of local music, you get a better focus. There were three compilations in radio station WCOZ's series before they changed call letters and went dance music/rap.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WARREN SCOTT of THE CHANNEL

Warren Scott has close to three decades of experience as one of the major booking agents in New England. As talent buyer for The Channel nightclub, he brought national and international acts into the Boston area. Two of Roy Orbison's last three performances before his passing were at The Channel; Greg Kihn had the room completely jammed when "Jeapordy" was a hit in 1983, while local legends Rick Berlin: The Movie and Girls Night Out featuring Didi Stewart were able to bring a huge audience into a Boston venue and generate the stir that made them two of the areas most exciting artists.

Today the city of Medford hosts Scott's company, Boston Event Works, managing the prestigious Chevalier Theatre. The Marvelettes, Shirley Alston Reeves, local heroes New England and The Fools, all participated in recent memorable nights at the historic concert hall. The same hall, which, in the past, has also hosted immortal names such as Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy.

Recently, Scott sat down for a Q&A about his business and managing the Chevalier.

Q: Warren, when did you open Boston Event Works?A: 2002

Q: Concerted Efforts used to be located on Salem Street in Medford, John Gentile and Mickey O'Halloran worked in the suburbs in the 70s - Mickey working out of Mass. Ave in Arlington. How do you find working five miles north of Boston compared to Boston proper, and how has Medford responded to having a major booking agency within the city limits?

A: You don't necessarily need to be in a metro city to run an office like BEW. With phones and e-mail, you could be anywhere as long as you are in touch and in tune to the needs of the market you are servicing.

It's great to be here in Medford, it supplies a great business atmosphere with location and local amenities, especially being located in the Chevalier Theater; it's a natural fit.Q: Warren, you've certainly worked some of the finest rooms in New England. The Pia Zadora show at the Opera House that you were involved with was a real treat. Here's this movie actress in films that weren't memorable onstage with Sinatra's band and holding her own. She brought the house down if I recall.Would it be fair to say that the Chevalier is as acoustically perfect as the Opera House, and as important to this region?A: Most definitely, it's a beautiful room. Acoustically it's perfect, not a bad seat in the house, a beautiful structure, with as many seats to challenge any national concert hall.Q: Could you introduce us to the staff of Boston Event Works?A: Well I'm not as "news shy" as they may be, but we have a full-time staff with Julie in administration, Kevin and Ron in the contemporary club booking department, Aaron heads up the college division, Dave in the wedding and me at the helm of special events. Then we have show production managers that work out of the office producing the shows and events we put together for clients all over the USA.

Q: You have a large roster of artists. Who are some of the most in-demand performers you represent?A: Good question, and me not being right in the contemporary department, I'll try to answer ...Let's see, Boston Event Works represents, Audible Mainframe, Eclective Collective, The Well, The Brightwings, NBFB, Gordon Stone Band, Fungus Amungus, Sucka Brown, Parker House & Theory, VINX, Oneside, Arcoda, Lucy Vincent, Ramoniacs, Jumpstreet.Q: The region has changed dramatically since the 1970s with The Rathskellar, The Kenmore Club, The Club in Cambridge, The Channel, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Jack's in Cambridge and other vital clubs fading into memory.

What are your thoughts on the changing marketplace?A: It's happening too fast and without care for the music industry itself. Music is a driving force in many people's lives, whether it's recorded or live, and it's the live portion of music Boston metro is lacking.There is swiftly becoming far too few live entertainment stages. For a region this large, the amount of actual viewing space for start-up, new bands, is small. We've got a fair amount of large venues to see nationals but the younger bands are sacrificing terribly.

There is just nowhere to play, far less rooms are functioning now from even five to 10 years ago. One time there were 20 plus moderate sized clubs that presented live music, what are there now, six, eight??

If you are a band who is releasing a new product and wants to showcase in a strong 400-seat room, it's tough to find. If the room is out there, if you don't mind waiting three months to get a slot. (Problem is) the production (professional lights and sound) is not.

Again, a lessening support for live music.

Q: Malden has My Honey Fitz, Arlington's "Right Turn" has major acts in for charity events, do you think a nightclub in Medford, or a consistent music presence at the Chevalier, is something the suburbs are ready for?

A: It's always up to the city. A regular rotation of events at The Chevalier would work as long as the interval of time between shows worked.

Q: What are Boston Event Works immediate goals?

A: To continue to grow, booking the hottest bands into (what's left of) the clubs in this region, allowing us to bring visiting businesses and corporations to this area the best entertainment with the best and newest production.

Q: What fun things can Medford residents look forward to from the Chevalier?

A: We've got a bunch of events happening - Brendon from Nashville will be in for three nights, Whoopie Goldberg will be visiting in April and the region's best theatrical shows on the Chevalier large stage.

Q: Boston Event Works specializes in all aspects of live music presentation, event management and promotional support. How do you choose the entertainment?

A: Besides the many national attractions we work with, the locals and regionals are decided on by reviewing websites and promotional packages they submit to the agency.

Q: Would you kindly give us some of your most memorable moments in rock & roll in the Boston area.

A: Working the Sarah Vaughn and Muddy Waters show at Berklee Performance Center, one of my first was unbelievable, Fela Kuti at The Hynes, Bunnie Wailer at The Wang Center, Ray Charles at Lynn Auditorium, Frank Zappa at Winter Island in Salem, The Ramones at The Main Event in Lynn (a.k.a. "The Harbor House") circa 1978; The Repacements, Miles Davis, Pobert Palmer, Morrissey at The Opera House, Bo Diddley and Roy Orbison double header in Volvo Tennis Chamionship opening, John Denver, same place, different night, or Jerry Lee Lewis: who admitted some profound news to (former Globe critic)Jim Sullivan and I, Divine and John Waters, Jello Biafra & the Dead Kennedy's whos name was changed to The DK's per order of The State House, Cameo, Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel who when I paid, showed me who was in charge by using a 38 for a paper weight, The Gap Band, Charlie Watts Orchestra, The Young Snakes, Johnny Thunders, Billy Bragg, Dwight Youkum, Ian Dury and the Blockheads who opened up for an unknown John Cougar, Wendy O & The Plasmatics (no ping pong balls), Joan Jett, The Slits, Big Black, The Speedies, Motorhead, Meatloaf, Eisterzende Neubarton, Alice in Chains, Fine Young Cannibals with a fire alarm, everybody left the club then everybody went back in, there where 2000 people there that night, James Brown, who I had to talk into not flying back to Detroit because of his suite, it was at the embassy suites hotel in Allston and he was told him it was a full $3,000 suite, come to find out , it cost $149, Getting drunk with AC/DC; when I drank...George Clinton and The P-Funk Allstars, Iggy Pop, Pere Ubu, Gary Glitter, The GoGo's, Thompson Twins, Gary Newman, GNO, Freddie Kruger, Freddie McGregor, English Beat; our House Band, The Birthday Party, John Cale, JJ Cale, Tony Bennett, The Cramps at Halloween, multiple years in a row, Putting together the first ever Spinal Tap performance (and they did 4 shows!), Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones again & The Mysterians, The Jam, Dennis Brown, Sly and Robbie, B-52's regular yearly X-Mas gigs, Phillip Glass, and Goo Goo Dolls who I used to pay $400 a night ... all happened at the best nightclub America has seen...The Channel.

Released eight years after the brilliant Orchestra Luna album on Epic, the eclectic music of Rick Berlin takes a more pop aim, which can be described as "progressive underground." Emerging from the same Boston scene as Willie Alexander and the Nervous Eaters, the commercial local hits "It's You I Love," "Over The Hill," and "Don't Stop Me From Crying" garnered them a huge audience, while tunes like "Can I Fall in Love" and "Airlift" were explorations in stretching the boundaries. Taking the Beatles into Journey's arena rather than the world of the Velvet Underground, this album is actually producer Bill Pfordresher's re-working of an album cut when the band was known as the original Luna. They had dropped the Orchestra from the name and replaced Randy Roos with Steven Paul Perry, giving the band a harder edge. The "Hollywood" 45 was released in between Orchestra Luna and Berlin Airlift under the name Luna. The band had a deal in hand with Cleveland International (yet another CBS label -- this album as well as the former were on CBS affiliated labels) but the producer of Luna held out for too much money, keeping the band from signing, and changing history. This album would be dramatically different had the original Luna tapes seen the light of day. Also, "Don't Stop Me From Crying," a driving ballad with superb vocals that Queen made popular, was pretty established locally, making it difficult to re-launch a song people were already familiar with. Aerosmith faced this when "Dream On" charted twice nationally, once because of Boston airplay, and later because other cities picked up on it. Berlin Airlift, its wonderful music aside, is a perfect example of politics interfering in the recording process. It, unfortunately, is a big part of this album's legacy. The film themes run throughout, as usual. The album's back cover dressed up like a frame from celluloid, and the line "sad movies they take me away" makes the emphasis. The incessant chant of "Don't Stop Me" is a grabber, and not your usual radio hook. Rick Kinscherf Berlin's lyrics are direct and controversial as well as innovative. "Over the Hill" is the reverse of Gary Puckett's "Young Girl," about an older man, out "to rob the cradle," dating a seventeen year old. Stevie Knicks worked that theme as well, but, somehow, a woman going there isn't as frightening for radio programmers as men in a spring/summer fling. The song was a big smash in Boston, but Handshake Records was busy putting out the Pope's spoken word disc, which might've been a financial detriment -- executive Ron Alexenburg's label went by the wayside, further affecting this effort. Jane Balmond's keyboards and Rick Berlin's performances are nicely complemented by Steven Paul Perry's Mick Ronson-style guitar, and tunes like "My Heart Ain't Big Enough for You" and "It's You I Love" bring the original Orchestra Luna concept to a place where rock fans can appreciate it without having to think too much. Despite its production flaws, the sound is a bit thinner than the band was used to, and some of the material having been overworked, Berlin Airlift is still a very good document of an important band. They would re-emerge as Rick Berlin: The Movie after this, recording more radio-friendly songs, many of which have yet to see the light of day. Epic/Legacy would be wise to combine Orchestra Luna and Berlin Airlift with some of the more popular rarities on a single CD as vital early work from Rick Berlin, who continues to write, record, and perform his unique musical vision.

"The monster arrives in the dark," Rick Berlin sings in "Miracle," one of 15 songs recorded live at the notorious drag queen bar in Boston's Bay Village, Jacques. Located across the street from where the Cocoanut Grove nightclub burned to the ground forcing changes in laws, it is probably the only bar in New England with a midnight license. Captured here is the ambiance with veteran singer/songwriter Rick Berlin, whose Monday night performances at this venue rivals Little Joe Cook's work at the Cantab for longevity. It is amazing what one man can do with a voice, piano, and audience. "(I Like) Straight Guys" is humorous in the pitter patter piano and the effective vocal, ending with a climactic "honk if you love Jesus..." -- the "f" word (three letters, not four) trailing off in the distance. Berlin, formerly known as Rick Kinscherf when signed to Epic Records in the '70s with his group Orchestra Luna, is in total control with piano runs and a vocal sound moving closer to John Cale than Berlin's work with his fusion and hard rock bands ever displayed. Jane Friedman, who worked with Cale, also represented Rick Berlin at one point in time, and she's thanked on the disc, but the comparison between the two artists was never evident until Live at Jacques. The recording is excellent, with keyboards and voice spaced nicely, violin, harmonica, and backing vocals coming in on different titles. "Police Boy in Prague" is simply a title that may have been a bit much even for the CBS release when the band was known as Berlin Airlift. Then things were subtle, innuendo, and double entendre. Berlin compares a boy in Prague lying in his arms to a violin, as the violin plays behind him. This is Rick, as he sings in "Be Yourself," totally immersed in his art in an appreciative arena, dangerous music being generated in a dangerous nightclub. It's a far cry from the days when Berlin opened for Roxy Music or drew thousands of patrons into the Channel club, where his band was among the top draws. "I would rather have a fag for a son than a drunk for a husband," he sings in "Be Yourself." Berlin hasn't gone after the gay market as other artists position themselves. He is just performing because he has to, and producer Dan Cantor has captured the moment in all its glory.

Reviews

George Thorogood is forever consistent and Maverick is more of the blues/rock driving sound the journeyman guitarist is known for. John Lee Hooker's "Crawling King Snake" is what you expect from this crew while "Memphis, Tennessee" bursts at the seams with George's trademark slide and Hank Carter's saxophone. Recorded at the legendary Dimension Sound Studio in July of 1984 on the outskirts of Boston, the earthy sound catches all the band's primal energy from opener "Gear Jammer" to the wailing sax of "Long Gone." There are only four originals from Thorogood, the album chock full of Johnny Otis, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, John Lee Hooker and others. It is territory that the group has covered on pretty much every previous record, but it's done with the artistic passion that makes it real. The vocal on "What a Price" full of torment, it's a nice contrast to the rocking numbers.

George Thorogood is forever consistent and Maverick is more of the blues/rock driving sound the journeyman guitarist is known for. John Lee Hooker's "Crawling King Snake" is what you expect from this crew while "Memphis, Tennessee" bursts at the seams with George's trademark slide and Hank Carter's saxophone. Recorded at the legendary Dimension Sound Studio in July of 1984 on the outskirts of Boston, the earthy sound catches all the band's primal energy from opener "Gear Jammer" to the wailing sax of "Long Gone." There are only four originals from Thorogood, the album chock full of Johnny Otis, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, John Lee Hooker and others. It is territory that the group has covered on pretty much every previous record, but it's done with the artistic passion that makes it real. The vocal on "What a Price" full of torment, it's a nice contrast to the rocking numbers.

This is a well-deserved documentary film on the Pixies, though a bit ostentatious in its premise. The band is one of the greats that emerged out of the 1980s Boston scene, but the opening quip calling them "one of the most influential bands of all time" is the kind of overreach that takes away from the fun, and a philosophy that holds this elegant — and at times gorgeous — production back. What should be an important addition to their musical catalog quickly evaporates into a DVD fanzine — not a bad thing in itself, but not the type of vehicle that will recruit many new fans or beg repeated plays. Frank Black (aka Black Francis) doesn't have the presence of a Willie "Loco" Alexander, a huge Boston cult figure who is a most intriguing and captivating character. As the first artist to perform at the Boston Tea Party, and later as a member of the Velvet Underground, Alexander has the "street cred" that would make a mere phone conversation compelling. Watching Black Francis engaged on the telly about the ego conflicts with Kim Deal is hardly as enlightening as, say, Ralph J. Gleason presenting a legendary 1965 Bob Dylan press conference. Therein lies the problem: David, Kim, Joey, and Frank (or is it Black?) are not John, Paul, George, and Ringo, nor does this film contain the supreme irreverence of A Hard Day's Night or Help! And just as one Boston area WZLX disc jockey asked on-air, in all seriousness, "Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starkey? Who is this Starkey guy?," few people on the planet could ever find the missing Pixies link, Charles Thompson. This film is not for the masses, but for Pixies fans, a cult that loves the sound and wants the music, and it's the music here that is the most powerful thing. Sadly, there's just not enough of it. The personalities don't jump off the screen, so the home movie's best footage outside of the snippets of music are some of the sights — the band recording in Iceland, a hotel front in Chicago. The DVD becomes as frustrating as the group's breakup.

You can't put bald ego on tape and expect to find the magic. The magic with the Pixies has always been the music — not their looks, not their persona — but simply the sound they blasted from the stage of the Rat in Boston way back when. Gee, if only if only that fantastic set was what was inside this DVD case. Kelley Deal wielding a camera and asking a woman why she's there is supposed to be ironic. "My daughter Kim's in the Pixies; I'm here to see her." The home movie is great stuff, Kelley, of course, and being the woman's daughter is as well. But wouldn't it have been more fun to see mom running the camera and a great Breeders song appear from out of nowhere? Now, had these drawn-out moments been edited down and dropped into one of the many Pixies music videos out there — for example, the December 15, 1986, appearance at WJUL (now WUML) in Lowell, MA, or the Los Angeles footage from October 30, 2004 — this project would have taken on lots more meaning and historical importance. There is a cool 16-page black-and-white booklet with commentary from directors Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin, but what they fail to note is that many of the bands that the Pixies influenced, with the exception of Nirvana and perhaps a handful of others, never reached the level of Roxy Music, the Cars, R.E.M., or other latter-day pioneers that the Velvet Underground spawned. The Cars inspired many more bands than the Pixies, for example, and a quirky documentary on those personalities would be more entertaining. Without the Cars there would be no "Every Breath You Take" from the Police, arguably their greatest hit. Without the Pixies there's a very good chance Kurt Cobain would have still made his mark. The filmmakers do nothing here to dispute that, which renders Loudquietloud: A Film About the Pixies a great concept that misses. The group — and these filmmakers — need to borrow the Barre Phillips Live in Vienna DVD (on the same label, Music Video Distributors) to see pure genius, and a simple interview with more value than egos continuing to get in the way of the creation of intriguing sounds. One would think after all these years they'd get it.